Michigan football coach has unique relationship with JJ McCarthy

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This weekend, the No. 3 Wolverines will face the No. 9 Nittany Lions in Happy Valley; it will be the team’s biggest test of the year thus far. Amid the sign-stealing news, the big game prep, and more, ninth-year Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh had a chance to unwind and talk about something that clearly means a lot to him: his special bond with junior quarterback JJ McCarthy.

Michigan football coach has unique relationship with JJ McCarthy

Ever since committing to Michigan football, it has been clear that JJ McCarthy was going to be something special for the Wolverines. Now in his third year in Ann Arbor, McCarthy has seen nothing but great success — his Michigan teams are 33-3 overall, with two Big Ten titles and CFP appearances to show for it.

On top of that, Michigan football is currently 9-0 and ranked among the nation’s playoff contenders heading into this weekend’s matchup against the 8-1 (5-1 Big Ten) Penn State Nittany Lions.

Jim Harbaugh talks personal bond with his junior QB

On Monday, here is what Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said about his bond with JJ McCarthy.

“(JJ McCarthy) is like a beloved son,” Jim Harbaugh said. “Everything about him — the way he approaches everything. The way he treats young kids, the way he treats adults. The respect that he has. He’ll pop up off his chair and go shake somebody’s hand. Gratitude for everything. The smile with the kids. My son Jack feels like JJ is his best friend. It’s a beautiful thing that JJ that’s Jack’s role model. And also, JJ makes him feel that way. I’ve seen that with dozens of kids.”

More from Harbaugh on how impressive JJ McCarthy truly is

Jim Harbaugh didn’t stop there while talking about his sensational quarterback. In fact, he went on to compare him to the greatest player of all time: ex-Michigan football quarterback Tom Brady, who JJ McCarthy just passed in the program record books.

“As a football player, in my mind, he’s Tom Brady in his preparation and his willingness to be coached, his wanting to do anything and everything that he can for his own personal growth and also for the team. And then he’s got this side of him that I’ve only seen in one other quarterback, Jim McMahon, which is the love of playing and the fun that a guy has playing the game of football. So, yeah, I’ve never seen that personality — ultra competitive but empathetic — come together in a football quarterback. And the way it does, he’s like a blend of Tom Brady and Jim McMahon, from what I’ve seen. It’s hard not to love that.”

No. 3 Michigan football is back in action this weekend against No. 9 Penn State

This weekend, Jim Harbaugh may improve to 6-3 against Penn State since taking over Michigan football back in 2015. The last time Michigan visited State College was in 2021 before JJ McCarthy was the Wolverines’ starter, a game that the Maize and Blue eventually won by four points en route to the program’s first Big Ten title since 2004.

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