Connect with us

FOOTBALL

Michigan football: JJ McCarthy facing high expectations as a second-year starter

Michigan football QB JJ McCarthy is facing high expectations this fall. But how high are they?

Published

2 weeks ago

on

JJ McCarthy, Michigan football
Sep 3, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) gets set to run a play against the Colorado State Rams at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into his second season as the starting quarterback for the Michigan football team, JJ McCarthy is facing some high expectations. That being said, is there a true preseason expectation for the rising junior Wolverine?

JJ McCarthy expected to be the best in the Big Ten… at least

The time is now for Michigan’s star QB, JJ McCarthy, and people are beginning to notice as his spotlight increases. McCarthy was recently ranked by 247 Sports as the top-rated QB in the Big Ten, ahead of Maryland’s Talia Tagovailoa, Ohio State’s highly touted Ryan McCord, and, of course, former teammate turned Iowa Hawkeye, Cade McNamara.

McCarthy is also beginning to be mentioned as a first-round pick in several “way too early” mock drafts for 2024. This is no surprise considering the immeasurable talent JJ brings to the field. Michigan has NEVER had a quarterback like JJ. He has the arm talent of a premier NFL starting quarterback. His agility is comparable to the likes of Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray.

He has the innate ability to stand in the pocket or scramble, extending plays — which makes him a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Just ask Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles. In addition to his physical attributes, McCarthy has a fascinating mentality. His famous meditation practices can be correlated to his on-field success.

The demeanor he carries embodies staying in the present, remaining positive, and being poised at all times. These qualities are essential for being an elite Michigan football quarterback, which McCarthy undoubtedly possesses.

Fan expectations different than national expectations?

With all of this being said, what should fans expect from McCarthy in 2023? They ought to expect one of the best seasons any Michigan quarterback has had in the program’s history! Certainly, the most electric since Coach Harbaugh’s takeover in 2015. There are several factors that will be prevalent in making this a reality.

The first is experience. McCarthy is heading into his junior season, having already been in the biggest games, under the brightest lights, and delivering in the biggest moments. Experience will play a pivotal role in McCarthy’s success this season as he looks to expand upon his already successful tenure.

The pieces are all there for Michigan football

The offensive line will be a massive contributor to his success as well, considering no offensive line has been as dominant in the past two seasons. Not only that, but the unit is reloading. Key starters Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter are returning, and highly-touted transfers Drake Nugent and LaDarius Henderson are arriving. This means JJ will be untouched and will have adequate time in the pocket, a major luxury.

Additionally, Michigan will have a favorable schedule, with all non-conference opponents being unranked and unchallenging. In fact, the Wolverines won’t face a worthy opponent until November (Penn State and Ohio State). The final factor in McCarthy’s success is his playmakers.

Stars such as Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, and Colston Loveland will all be instrumental in McCarthy’s success. Blake Corum (RB) previously had one of the most polished seasons of any Michigan running back in history, and he looks to improve upon that greatness in 2023. Donovan Edwards (RB) has the same knack as NFL stars Deebo Samuel and Saquon Barkley when it comes to catching passes in the backfield.

Colston Loveland (TE) has already displayed his worthiness of being an NFL prospect solely from the second half of his freshman campaign. Ultimately, each of these factors makes McCarthy a matchup nightmare and could ultimately land him in New York, becoming Michigan’s 4th Heisman Trophy winner.

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!

Related Topics:
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FOOTBALL

Michigan football veteran defensive lineman is looking primed for a breakout season

Michigan football defensive lineman Kris Jenkins is looking like a beast heading into 2023!

Published

23 hours ago

on

May 29, 2023

By

Michigan football, Kris Jenkins
Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins (94) celebrates a play against TCU during the second half at the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.

Few have been as good as Michigan football when it comes to producing elite defensive linemen at the college level. In 2023, defensive linemen Mazi Smith and Mike Morris were drafted into the NFL. The year prior, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo were also drafted. Now, the Wolverines look primed to have another stud defensive lineman head to the NFL draft as Kris Jenkins looks prepped and ready to go for 2023.

Michigan football defensive lineman Kris Jenkins is taking off-season training to a new level

Every year, Michigan’s strength and conditioning team does an elite job of developing in the off-season. In fact, strength coach Ben Herbert is widely known as one of the best in the business.

Heading into 2023, he appears to be working some magic again. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins has been a consistent player in the defensive line rotation for Michigan over the years. However, he’s never quite had his opportunity to break out. In 2023, that opportunity might be on the way!

In 2022, Jenkins was listed at 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, and looked like an absolute beast. Still, it appears he wasn’t happy with his 285-pound frame, though, as he recently took to Twitter to update fans on his current weight.

If this is real, and Jenkins does indeed stand at 309 pounds, then offensive linemen be warned. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins looks like an absolute menace right now and could be prepping to take over college football. He clearly has the will to improve; now we have to see it take shape on the football field.

How high can his stock rise for the 2024 NFL draft?

For now, it’s not looking like Kris Jenkins will be a top draft pick. That’s not exactly a knock on him, but rather a situation of opportunity. In 2021, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo were the stars of the show. Then in 2022, Mazi Smith was the man of the hour, eating up seemingly three blocks every single play. Now, it seems like the door is open for a breakout season for Jenkins, and it could literally pay off in the form of the 2024 NFL draft.

In his last two seasons with the program, Jenkins has recorded a total of 76 tackles and two sacks. While the sack numbers are low, they aren’t all that concerning, mainly because he’s more of a run-stopper than anything. In fact, that extra weight should only increase his ability to stop the run.

For the time being, Jenkins has the makings of a middle-rounder in the NFL draft, but this could quickly improve with a big season in 2023. It’s all up to him, and he’s aware of it. Considering the significant changes to his body already this off-season, he’s put the work in. Now, he just needs to show what he’s capable of on the field.

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!

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

Blake Corum, JJ McCarthy ranked top 25 in college football NIL value

Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy are fantastic examples of what NIL value can look like for Michigan football!

Published

3 days ago

on

May 27, 2023

By

NIL value, Blake Corum, JJ McCarthy, Michigan football
Michigan running back Blake Corum and quarterback J.J. McCarthy run against Iowa during the first half of the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.

We’ve hit the point where Michigan football now fully understands the importance of NIL. For the beginning portions of the new NCAA rule, which allows college athletes to be paid based on their name, image and likeness, the University of Michigan showed some hesitations. This now appears to be a thing of the past as Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy are listed as two of the top 25 players in college football in NIL value.

Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy are proof of Michigan football’s ability to work NIL value

In an era in which NIL rules all, if your football program doesn’t know how to use it, they’ll generally struggle to compete with the best in college football. That’s why programs such as Georgia, USC and even Colorado have been able to take over the college football landscape.

While the University of Michigan hasn’t been bad in taking advantage of NIL, it hasn’t been a priority for them. However, that is no longer the case, as two Michigan football stars have some of the best NIL value in college football, according to ON3. Blake Corum is coming off of one of the best running back seasons in Michigan football history. JJ McCarthy is one of the best quarterbacks in college football and maybe the best in the Big Ten.

Blake Corum took his elite past couple of seasons and turned them into NIL deals with some major brands. Companies like Outback Steakhouse, Subway and M Den have all signed deals with him.

On the flip side, while McCarthy has only been the starter at Michigan for one season, this hasn’t hurt his NIL value in the slightest. In just one year starting, he’s signed deals with big-time companies like Bose, Essentia Water and Topps.

Michigan’s stars have used their NIL value for the betterment of the community

For some college athletes, having thousands of extra dollars in their bank account would be a dream. They’d be able to buy just about anything they wanted, all while being able to play the sport they love.

For Wolverines like Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy, they had different ideas for ways to use that money. Since their NIL paychecks began coming in, the two stars have looked to the community to find ways to help.

Blake Corum, for instance, used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to give back. Days before Thanksgiving 2021 and 2022, Corum walked around Ypsilanti, delivering turkeys to various families. It was a small gesture, but it significantly impacted the lives of those who received one.

JJ McCarthy had a similar idea, donating money to multiple children’s hospitals. He made this decision following the tragic shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.

With Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy continuing to rise in stardom, even more opportunities to give back could arise. In the meantime, the two players are top 25 in NIL value in college football and have used it to help make their communities a better place. With this kind of NIL success popping up in Ann Arbor, don’t be surprised to see more athletes donning the ‘block M’ in the future.

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!

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL

New Michigan football transfer portal target emerges in veteran defensive back

A new transfer target has been offered by Jim Harbaugh and the staff.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 27, 2023

By

Michigan football transfer portal, Josh Wallace
Oct 2, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh looks on during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s Michigan football roster is one of the best in the nation, boasting loads of talent and potential, and aligning the Wolverines with the national championship discussion. The one area of concern that Michigan still has is at cornerback — with Will Johnson still battling injury and the room looking a bit shallow, the Wolverines could use some extra depth ahead of their 2023 campaign. Yesterday, a new Michigan football transfer poral target emerged in the form of former three-star UMass defensive back Josh Wallace, a native of Maryland.

New Michigan football transfer portal target: UMass cornerback Josh Wallace

Throughout his remarkable career, Wallace has consistently demonstrated his exceptional skills and leadership qualities. As a team captain at UMass, he earned the trust and admiration of his teammates and coaches, solidifying his reputation as a natural leader both on and off the field.

Notably, Wallace’s outstanding performance on the gridiron earned him recognition as a second-team All-Independent honoree, further underscoring his impact within the conference. This accolade serves as a testament to his consistent excellence and highlights his ability to make a significant impact in every game he plays.

Wallace’s career thus far

During the thrilling 2022 season, Wallace’s presence was felt in all 12 games he participated in. His defensive prowess shone through as he recorded an impressive total of 41 tackles, including three tackles for loss. His ability to disrupt plays and make crucial stops showcased his versatility and knack for making a difference on every down.

Moreover, Wallace’s remarkable playmaking abilities were on full display as he contributed with one fumble recovery, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups. His exceptional awareness and keen instincts allowed him to create turnovers and provide strong coverage in the secondary, making him a force to be reckoned with.

As Wallace continues to progress in his career, his consistent performance, exceptional leadership, and game-changing abilities make him an invaluable asset to any team. With each accomplishment, he solidifies his status as a rising star in the world of football, hinting at a bright and prosperous future ahead.

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!

Continue Reading

TRENDING