JJ McCarthy is taking it up a notch under new QB coach Kirk Campbell

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — We are only a few months out from the start of the 2023 college football season. After going 13-1, winning the Big Ten title, and making the College Football Playoff under first-year starting quarterback JJ McCarthy, the Michigan football team is looking for much bigger and better from their rising junior quarterback this fall. According to a fellow Michigan quarterback — Davis Warren — McCarthy is taking it up a notch this spring under new QB coach Kirk Campbell.

JJ McCarthy needs to go from good to great in year two as a starter

A season ago, as a sophomore with the Michigan football team, JJ McCarthy was a good quarterback. At times, he shinned bright — such as Michigan’s 45-23 win over Ohio State — however, at other times, McCarthy looked like a first-year starter and struggled (such as the Illinois game).

As Michigan’s full-time starter in year two, the Wolverines simply need more from McCarthy. Better throws, more intelligent plays, and more.

As we have seen over the past two seasons, average quarterback play is sometimes enough — in 2021, it got Michigan football an 11-1 regular season, a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten title, and the program’s first-ever playoff berth. In fact, a season ago, with “good” quarterbacking, the Wolverines did even better, going 12-0 in the regular season, a second-straight Big Ten title, a playoff berth, and more. Still, if Michigan wants to take things up a notch, it will need McCarthy to go from good to great in 2023; under new QB coach Kirk Campbell, he is liable to do precisely that.

Davis Warren comments on the progression of JJ McCarthy under new QB coach Kirk Campbell

When inquiring about the Michigan football quarterback room, who better to talk to than one of the Wolverines’ quarterbacks? Michigan quarterback Davis Warren had time to comment on his new position coach, the QB room, his team, JJ McCarthy, and more following the annual Michigan spring game on April 1st. When asked about JJ’s development from 2022 to 2023 under new QB coach Kirk Campbell, Davis Warren had high praise from the rising junior gunslinger.

“He’s just playing on time, playing in rhythm, taking what’s given to him, not forcing things, and just being surgical,” Davis Warren said about Michigan football rising junior quarterback JJ McCarthy. “That’s the best way to describe it, just like, knows where he’s going with the football, super decisive with it.

“That’s really impressed me, and kind of think some credit goes to coach Campbell,” Warren continued, “who’s done a really good job of helping us play on time and play in rhythm. I think that’s the biggest thing going into the year is just, if we keep doing what we’re doing I think the QB’s as a whole had a really good spring, and just keep doing what we’re doing every week…it’s gonna be scary.”

McCarthy could be the best this fall

Additionally, when asked about how good JJ McCarthy can be in the Maize and Blue, Warren had a simple answer: “The best.”

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!