Michigan football fall camp: What is the latest on JJ McCarthy?

With just 13 days until the 2023 season starts for the Wolverines, spirits are quite high in Ann Arbor, MI, right now. With rising junior quarterback JJ McCarthy heading into his second year as the team’s full-time starter, many Wolverines have been buzzing about his presence throughout Michigan football fall camp. Here is some of what is being said about McCarthy right now.

The latest on JJ McCarthy from Michigan football fall camp

It has been a long offseason for Michigan football, which is coming off of back-to-back Big Ten Championship-winning seasons heading into the 2023 schedule. This fall, Jim Harbaugh has his best shot at winning a national title since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2015 season, and needless to say, quarterback JJ McCarthy is going to be a deciding factor in the Wolverines’ success this fall.

Since the start of Michigan football fall camp earlier this month, players and coaches have been buzzing about JJ McCarthy and his development from the 2022 season to the 2023 season. If Michigan is to finally break through its glass ceiling, McCarthy and the offense need to step up their game, especially when throwing the ball.

The end zone is always in focus#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/BIsiXIGYgR

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 20, 2023

Roman Wilson seeing a lot of progression from JJ heading into the 2023 season

According to senior wide receiver Roman Wilson, who is battling for the WR1 job right now, JJ McCarthy is as confident as he has ever been while throwing the football right now.

“Just him being a more confident guy,” Wilson said when asked about what he has seen from JJ so far during Michigan football fall camp. “He’s always had the tools last year — running out to the left, throwing the ball to the right, step up to the pocket, deep ball, all that — he’s special, he’s different. He stepped up big time this year, I’ve seen a lot.”

Roman Wilson added that having JJ McCarthy as QB1 throughout spring ball and fall camp has been a huge factor for the offense as well.

“I think just having that spring with (JJ McCarthy) and camp and then offseason, just getting that chemistry together, him figuring out how fast I’m really moving and what routes I’m running and where he’s got to put the ball. It’s all timing and all chemistry, we just need more reps at it,” Wilson said. “I didn’t think it was a problem last year. You saw at the end of the season where we got more reps, and we were good, so, I think it just had to work itself out eventually.”

New transfer thinks the passing attack will take a step forward with veteran quarterback at the helm

On top of Wilson outlining some of McCarthy’s progression throughout fall camp, new transfer tight end AJ Barner is very high on what JJ McCarthy and the Wolverines’ passing offense will be able to do this fall.

“I think very dangerous,” Barner began. “Having JJ back there slinging the rock — he’s looked incredible all spring. He’s a tremendous leader and a tremendous football player. The O-line has looked incredible, and they’re gonna give us time to do that, and then we have plenty of weapons — whether it’s on the perimeter with CJ (Cornelius Johnson), Roman (Wilson), the freshman receivers, and then the tight ends also. So I think that’ll be a great thing for us…”

Michigan football needs a new top target to emerge during the 2023 season

Last year, Ronnie Bell was JJ McCarthy’s “go-to” guy when he needed some help on offense. According to Sherrone Moore, a new face is yet to replace Bell’s presence; Michigan football still needs someone to step up and be McCarthy’s new favorite target.

“I think the big thing with the offense is we’re in the conceptual,” Moore said. “We’re going to fit people where we want them week by week — could be a receiver, could be a tight end, could be anybody. So I think in all offenses, you want a quarterback to have a person to go to when things break down. Last year, obviously, we saw it with Ronnie (Bell). This year he’s got a lot of outlets, so we’re gonna see who that person is.

“Do I know who it is yet? No. And we really don’t want to have one person that the defense is holding on anyway. We want to be very multiple and allow all the guys to shine and to feed everybody in different situations.”

What is quarterback JJ McCarthy saying about his own game during fall camp?

We also spoke to JJ McCarthy during the early stages of Michigan football fall camp. What has he worked on the most from year two to year three with the Wolverines?

“Probably the biggest thing this offseason was to be more of a vocal leader, and really embrace holding people accountable and holding myself accountable,” McCarthy explained. “Just making sure that it’s the ‘win the day’ mentality and not just focusing on week 1 or week 2, or the national championship, or anything like that, it’s day by day. So just keeping that reinforcement on the guys about winning the day, attacking daily consistent actions that put us in a positive direction.

“Obviously, just always growing with my craft, and always growing chemistry with the guys, with the O-lineman, getting more involved with the defense, trying to understand what they’re trying to do to us versus certain sets–it’s been a lot, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

Anything else that JJ McCarthy has been working on throughout fall camp ahead of the 2023 season? Yes — he wants to run the football more.

“Most of it (his offseason film study) has just been decision-making,” McCarthy explained. “Playing faster on time, more in rhythm, knowing when to run. God gave me this great ability to use my legs, I gotta use them more. Being more meshed with the receivers and the chemistry and knowing like, ‘this guy is a little bit faster on this guy, so you’ve gotta put a little bit less on the ball,’ little stuff like that. Just a lot of reevaluating the little stuff and getting back to playing on time and in rhythm.”

Everything that we have heard during Michigan football fall camp thus far suggests that junior quarterback JJ McCarthy is about to have a stellar year throughout the 2023 season.

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