Big Ten coach expresses doubt about Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy

We are now just two and a half weeks (17 days) away from the Wolverines’ season opener against East Carolina at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. As the coming 2023 season approaches, all eyes are on junior Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy, who took over as the team’s starter a season ago and looks to lead the Maize and Blue to a second-straight Big Ten title and more over the next few months. Recently, an anonymous Big Ten coach expressed some doubts about the true talent level of McCarthy, according to ESPN.

Big Ten coach remains unsure of how good Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy actually is

JJ McCarthy led Michigan football to a 13-win season (the best in program history), a conference title, and a College Football Playoff berth as a sophomore starter in 2022. While there were undoubtedly some growing pains along the way, McCarthy truly came into his own towards the end of the year, especially against Ohio State, performing well in the Wolverines’ final regular season game and leading them to a massive 45-23 victory in Columbus.

While JJ McCarthy is currently the Big Ten’s top quarterback (and one of the very few returning starters this year), this opposing Big Ten coach (defensive coordinator) still has some doubts about how good the junior Michigan football quarterback actually is.

“He’s at the top of the league, obviously, I’m just not sure how good he really is,” an opposing Big Ten coach said. “He was protected in terms of actually having to go out there and make some (stuff)  happen on his own. If they can run the ball, then they can protect those guys and not ask them to do a ton.”

While this assessment is not entirely unfair, it’s important to note that JJ McCarthy shone brightly when the Wolverines needed him last year. This season, offensive play-caller Sherrone Moore is striving for greater offensive balance, which could mean that fans are in store for a more pass-heavy season. McCarthy and a few veteran receivers are gearing up for a big year in pursuit of a national title, and could quickly put this opposing coach’s doubts to rest next month.

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