Michigan Football Quarterback Earns A First-Place Heisman Vote

Yesterday evening, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner was announced: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who had an incredible year in Baton Rouge. While Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy, who has his Wolverines at No. 1 in the nation right now heading into the College Football Playoff against No. 4 Alabama (Rose Bowl), finished at No. 10 in the Heisman voting, he still earned a first-place vote.

Michigan football quarterback earns a single first-place Heisman Trophy vote

For a few weeks earlier this season, JJ McCarthy was No. 1 in this year’s Heisman Trophy odds. That said, an injury against Penn State during Michigan’s 24-15 win in State College all but ended McCarthy’s Heisman campaign this fall, though it did not stop Michigan football from finishing with a 13-0 record and earning U of M a spot in the CFP as the No. 1 team in the country.

Due to his drop in numbers and performance while battling injury, JJ McCarthy was not invited to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist this year — he finished No. 10 in voting, one spot behind Blake Corum, who graced the list at No. 9.

Still, McCarthy was among those earning finalist voting, evening picking up a single first-place vote, per James Crepea. He also earned seven second-place votes and four third-place votes.

JJ McCarthy could win something bigger: a national title

While these votes were not nearly as many as the Heisman finalists this year, the Michigan football quarterback is still in fantastic shape. It sounds like his injury is starting to fully heal, which bodes incredibly well for the Wolverines heading into the Rose Bowl on January 1 against Alabama.

A win over the Tide in the College Football Playoff semi-final would send JJ McCarthy and Michigan football to the program’s first national title game, positioning the Wolverines to potentially go 15-0 this fall.

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