‘He’s the ultimate winner’: Michigan head coach offers rebuttal to J.J. McCarthy doubters
“The resiliency, the fortitude, the toughness that he’s going to bring to whichever organization he goes to will be unmatched.”
Even after he won the national championship for Michigan, J.J. McCarthy was still projected to be a Day 2 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Slowly, and not-so-quietly however, McCarthy has been climbing draft boards. Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf is rumored to be “pushing hard” for the Michigan QB and invited him to Foxborough Monday for an official 30 visit.
NFL draft analysts and scouts agree that McCarthy is the fourth-best quarterback in the draft class behind USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and UNC’s Drake Maye. Still, whispers around the league suggest that McCarthy could remain an option for New England with the No. 3 overall pick.
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore joined NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran on his “Patriots Talk” podcast Tuesday to discuss McCarthy’s potential as a future Patriot.
“The skillset, the tight window throws, the decision-making, the things we put on his plate. His athleticism – his underrated athleticism – all those things will just be put on display when he’s drafted,” Moore said.
McCarthy’s numbers are undoubtedly impressive: 44 touchdowns with just nine interceptions in two years as a starter at Michigan. His 72.3 percent completion rate ranked him amongst the top 10 quarterbacks in college football and he averaged 9.0 yards per attempt.
Still, despite going 27-1 as a starter through his entire college career, McCarthy has attracted his fair share of doubters.
“The J.J. McCarthy thing, to me, is a smokescreen,” WFAN host Tiki Barber said Thursday. “He’s getting inflated because Jim Harbaugh won’t stop talking about him. Now all of a sudden, he’s a top-four quarterback? I don’t buy it.”
Curran asked Moore about Barber’s recent comments. Moore, obviously, disagreed simply on the basis of McCarthy’s winning record.
“The first thing is that, high school… two state championships. Transfers to IMG, national championship. Comes to Michigan, three Big 10 Championships and a national championship,” Moore said. “He’s the ultimate winner, competitor.”
Critics have been quick to point out that McCarthy played alongside a star-studded crew at Michigan, inheriting top-tier protection from his o-line. Moreover, he took on more of a game managing role, relying on the run-heavy offense.
It’s those sort of critiques that would be hurled at McCarthy should he be selected in the top three, Curran pointed out. Moore, however, is confident his former player can tune out the noise.
“The resiliency, the fortitude, the toughness that he’s going to bring to whichever organization he goes to will be unmatched,” Moore said.
He recalled a time four years ago, after the Wolverines started the 2020 season 2-4, that McCarthy showed his first glimmer of strong leadership. Writing a letter to Michigan fans and media as a freshman, McCarthy vowed to change the organization with his incoming class.
“He was a part of something extremely special that he continued to build,” Moore added.
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