J.J. McCarthy is Almost an Elite Quarterback
The 2022 Fiesta Bowl between Michigan and TCU was not only an electric game, but one of the best in the College Football Playoff era. The Horned Frogs got out to a quick lead behind their stout run defense, forcing the Wolverines to deviate from their initial run-heavy game plan and rely on quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s arm to dig them out of the deficit. He almost pulled it off, too.
Now, McCarthy is a really solid quarterback — I am not trying to slam him here. The issue with McCarthy is that he has every tool that you want from a quarterback, but he can make mistakes that hurt you. As long as he continues to make these mistakes, he will almost be an elite quarterback.
What J.J. McCarthy does well
McCarthy has traits that are undeniable.
First off, his arm strength is off the charts. I don’t think he has the best arm in the nation, but he is up there. McCarthy can chuck the rock a mile, though I think his most impressive trait is his ability to throw on the run. Once he rolls out of the pocket, he can get a lot of zip on the ball without much effort.
McCarthy uses that arm strength to make some absurd throws, too. Against TCU, the most notable was his dot to Ronnie Bell over the middle of the field. That throw was filthy.
McCarthy’s speed only makes him more dangerous. When he looks to pick up yards on the ground, he does. If you don’t believe me, go rewatch some of the runs he had against TCU. At one point, he put the team on his back and led Michigan down the field with his legs.
McCarthy checks the arm strength and speed boxes. He has the size too — well, at least the height. He is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. Obviously, he could add some muscle, but that is not an impossible task. You can’t force yourself to grow throw, and he has the height.
Overall, McCarthy has proven to be a special player. In the Fiesta Bowl, he kept Michigan in that game. He made a lot of phenomenal plays in that game to keep the Wolverines from drowning. There are not many quarterbacks in the country that would have done much better in his shoes.
What is holding J.J. McCarthy back?
Despite having all of the tools that make scouts drool, McCarthy is far from perfect.
The biggest issue with McCarthy is that he tends to make costly bonehead mistakes. Once again, there are examples from the Fiesta Bowl for that too. McCarthy threw two pick-sixes that were pretty bad. The second was far worse as he did not see a linebacker drop back in coverage and he threw it right at him while trying to hit a slant route.
McCarthy is not perfect with his legs either. At times, he will get overaggressive and try to do too much. Rather than climbing up in the pocket to avoid pressure, McCarthy will instead move backward and create chaos. In some instances he is capable of capitalizing off the madness, but it does not always work though.
I can think of countless amount of times when McCarthy begins to scramble and look downfield in situations where he should just tuck it and run. I’d just like more situational awareness. A lot of times he could run and pick up a first down or at least make a third down more manageable.
Lastly, McCarthy can simply be lackadaisical in protecting the football. He fumbled once in the Fiesta Bowl, though Michigan didn’t lose possession. I couldn’t tell if the final offensive drive was his fault or the center’s, so we will leave that out of the discussion. Still, McCarthy puts the ball on the ground far too often.
I know there have been a lot of negatives in this section, but before we continue I want to make one thing clear. I am not throwing blame at McCarthy and saying he lost the Fiesta Bowl. There is plenty of blame to go around. At the end of the day, McCarthy made mistakes while also keeping Michigan alive. Both can be true.
J.J. McCarthy’s future
I would like to clarify that while this post seems negative, there is a large point here that is complimentary. I am writing this post because McCarthy has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football — that cannot be said for most quarterbacks in the country.
It bears repeating that McCarthy is almost one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. If he is able to clean up a few aspects of his game he will have an outstanding year in 2023. After all, he is only a sophomore and has another year to grow before the NFL Draft rolls around.
Another note in this conversation is that McCarthy was not the starter coming into the season. In the offseason, Michigan was facing a dilemma at quarterback, with McCarthy and Cade McNamara fighting for the starting job. A full offseason as the starter may help McCarthy progress, learn to read defenses better, and become a more improved quarterback overall.
Only time will tell, but, in 2023, J.J. McCarthy will have the chance to shed the word almost off his name and actually become great.
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