Michigan Football: Could J.J. McCarthy throw 60 Touchdowns at UM?

Joe Burrow set a new record for touchdown passes. Could J.J. McCarthy, a 2021 Michigan football commit, get anywhere near that number as a Wolverine?

Michigan football‘s J.J. McCarthy was on a journey not dissimilar from the legend that is Joe Burrow. Both are pro-style quarterbacks and both grew up fans of the Buckeyes. But that’s where the similarities end.

McCarthy was snubbed by his dream school while Burrow spent the first three years of college in Columbus.

J.J. feels resentment and, from the sounds of it, homicidal rage towards OSU.

“I used to love them,” McCarthy said. “Now I want to kill them.”

Ohio State made a mistake

As the story goes, McCarthy was visiting Ohio State in March of last year, excited about the opportunity to play under head coach Ryan Day and with all of the future NFL receivers. During that visit, coach Day informed him they weren’t taking commitments for the 2021 class until summertime.

The very next month, the Buckeyes accepted the pledge of then four-star 2021 quarterback Kyle McCord – the No. 3 quarterback for the class.

J.J.’s anger is understandable.

On top of that, McCarthy didn’t believe the situation was right; he didn’t get the same family atmosphere that he discovered in Ann Arbor.

“I didn’t get that feeling when I was there,” McCarthy said. “I really didn’t, with all the coaches there and how they interacted with us, I didn’t feel the big family tradition part of it. It was either you’re good at football or you’re over here. That’s what I felt.”

Ratings and evaluation

McCarthy, who attends Nazareth Academy located in a suburb of Chicago, threw for 3,448 yards, and 39 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2018 on his way to winning a state title. His ability to accurately heave the ball deep has earned him top rankings across all of the recruiting sites.

247 sports has McCarthy as a five-star with a 9909 composite rating, the No. 2 prostyle QB, and No. 1 from Illinois. Here’s Allen Trieu evaluation:

"Lean frame right now. Right around the average for height at the position, but needs to fill in more in the coming years. Fantastic arm talent. Can make every throw on the field, is consistent with accuracy and placement and has clean mechanics. Smart, competitive kid who has excelled in big games and big situations. Is not a big big running threat, but shows very good pocket presence, ability to escape the rush and make throws on the move. Passing skills and approach to the game scream multi-year college starter at a high-level, the main concern would be pure strength and adding bulk to his frame."

ESPN ranks J.J. 23rd overall in his class, second at his position, and first in IL with four-stars. Rivals is a little more conservative, giving McCarthy four-stars and ranking him 31st nationally, fifth at his position, and first in-state.

Incredible work ethic

“His work ethic makes him different,” said Tyler Morris, a wide receiver and teammate of McCarthy. “He’s always the dude trying to get extra work in. He never skips a rep. He’s always picking the team up and picking his teammates up. He’s always making sure that he is making himself the best he can be.”

Despite the high rankings and national praise, J.J. isn’t slowing down his workouts and he’s not tossing the playbooks aside; he’s working even harder, preparing to try and take over the starting role at UM as a freshman.

“His work ethic is unbelievable,” private quarterback coach Greg Holcomb said. “He’s arguably the top quarterback in the class, but he has the ability to consistently keep learning. He’s not one of those guys that feels like he’s reached his peak because of his ranking. He’s constantly asking questions. He’s very cerebral. He’s just a hard worker. His character is top notch. He’s a guy that you wish everyone was like. He’s easy to coach because he just wants it more than the average kid.”

The repetitions get old for most people. Connecting on a certain pass play the first 50 times can be rewarding, but not for a perfectionist like McCarthy. Putting in the time and reps it takes to be great is a little bit easier when you love what you do, and that just happens to be the case.

“Man, I love to do it so it’s not hard at all,” J.J. said. “I love getting better and I love talking to all these amazing teammates that I am going to have in the future. It’s not hard. It’s something I love to do, it’s something I choose to do.”

Best high school quarterback he’s ever seen

Back in May, The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman wrote a piece on J.J. which featured some interesting quotes from Tim Racki, McCarthy’s high school coach. Tim opined that McCarthy is not only better than any quarterback he’s ever coached but also the best quarterback he’s ever seen.

When you watch the tape, you’ll understand Tim’s sentiments.

Could he throw 60 touchdowns?

Theoretically? Yes.

Likely? No.

Under first-year offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, Shea Patterson set several school records and ended the season with 3,061 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. It wasn’t a spectacular year for Shea who received mass amounts of criticism for his inconsistent performances.

But then again, a majority of the concepts require more speed than what was on the roster. Gattis and the rest of the staff are, regardless of their ranking, reaching out to the fastest players on grass or turf.

The WR targeted by Michigan football is shorter, faster, and quicker than those in years past and the chosen ones will have at least a year of playing time by the time McCarthy arrives.

Should Gattis decide to stick around and not take on more responsibilities elsewhere, the sky is the limit for the Wolverines with J.J. taking snaps and guys like Roman Wilson – 4.37 forty – in a full sprint toward the end zone.

Regardless of the personnel, Michigan is struggling to break 30 touchdown mark. Elvis Grbac and Chad Henne are the single-season leaders tied at 25, although, that was in an archaic offense compared to today’s standards.

A consistent quarterback that’s a deep threat, with decent speed (4.87 forty), might just be what Michigan football needs to launch themselves back into elite status and out of the shadows of McCarthy’s most hated program. It also might be the piece the Wolverines require to reach 40 or 50 touchdowns in 15 games or fewer.