Michigan Football: Is J.J. McCarthy a Top 3 QB in College Football?

J.J. McCarthy has drawn comparisons to Caleb Williams all season long. Obviously, the two are pretty far apart statistically, but they’re very similar players. Both have phenomenal arm talent and are blazing quick.

Athletically, the two are nearly identical, and you’ve got to wonder what JJ would be doing statistically in an air raid offense. Williams has shown himself to be mortal. The superstar quarterback had 199 yards and three interceptions in a 48-20 loss against Notre Dame. He’s likely lost the top spot in the Heisman rankings.

Enter J.J. McCarthy. The Junior quarterback has 1,512 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and three interceptions through seven games. He has an absurd completion percentage of 78.2%, which is #2 in the nation, behind Bo Nix at 79.2%. He’s been phenomenal for Michigan football.

Following week seven, J.J. McCarthy is 2nd in the nation in Heisman odds behind Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr, per Fanduel Sportsbook.

Sure, it might be a pretty weak year for the Heisman – Blake Corum isn’t going to be a finalist, there haven’t been any super elite non-quarterbacks outside of Brock Bowers who got hurt last week – the award is going to go to a quarterback in 2023.

Latest Heisman odds for Michigan football QB J.J. McCarthy

While Michael Penix Jr has a huge lead over McCarthy, there’s still plenty of time to close the gap. No, JJ isn’t going to put up similar stats to Penix. But by continuing his off-the-chart efficiency and avoiding massive mistakes, the pressure will be on Penix to continue his incredible performance. If he slips up and JJ continues to make insane plays against Penn State and Ohio State, well, he could become a legitimate Heisman contender.

Right now, J.J. McCarthy is undoubtedly a top 3-5 quarterback in the country in my opinion. He’s also one of the least-tested quarterbacks in the nation.

McCarthy is shooting up draft boards and looks like a surefire first-round pick if he declares for the draft. But his money is going to be made – or lost – when Michigan football squares off against Penn State and Ohio State.

His performances against those two will be the difference between whether or not McCarthy is a Heisman contender, and whether or not the Michigan football quarterback is a contender for a top 5 pick in the NFL draft.

It’s too soon to confidently determine whether or not JJ is amongst the best in the country. He looks the part, acts the part, and has all the skills to play the part, but we won’t know until the end of November.

Go Blue!