Michigan Football Quarterback Ready For NFL, No Decision Made

LOS ANGELES — Will JJ McCarthy stay with the Wolverines for one more year? Will he leave for the NFL after the 2023 season? That remains to be seen, and frankly, not even JJ himself knows right now. Still, on Friday, we heard from Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore (offensive coordinator) and McCarthy himself on his preparedness for the National Football League, and while a decision about the draft is yet to be made, it’s clear that everyone knows that the junior quarterback is ready for the next level.

Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy is ready for the NFL

Oct 7, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

If you were only looking at box score stats, you would fail to realize that JJ McCarthy is one of the best quarterbacks in college football — Michigan football knows it, Alabama knows it, and NFL teams know it. In fact, according to the latest mock draft projections, McCarthy is among the top 10 picks off the board in 2024, assuming he chooses to declare early and leave U-M after this season.

When asked about his NFL readiness, JJ McCarthy made it clear that he feels confident in his ability to play football at the next level.

“Yes I do (feel like I can play in the NFL),” JJ McCarthy said Friday ahead of the Rose Bowl. “But I feel like there’s so much more — so much more I could grow and so many more things that could prepare me to play better in the NFL.”

JJ McCArthy throws a quick missile pic.twitter.com/g8n2x0SWoT

— CJ Mangum (@CMBB90) December 29, 2023

No NFL decision has been made, and one won’t be until after the Rose Bowl

Nov 11, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Michigan won 24-15. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan football All-Big Ten quarterback made it clear that, while the NFL is calling and U-M is still home, he has not put much thought into the subject just yet.

“To be honest with you, I really haven’t thought about it at all,” he said. “When the season is over, that’s when I’ll start weighing out the pros and cons, but what I’m focused on is winning.”

Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore backs McCarthy’s claim

Nov 11, 2023; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines offensive lines coach Sherrone Moore gestures from the sideline during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

On top of McCarthy’s confidence in himself, Sherrone Moore backed up the belief that the junior signal-caller is ready for the NFL.

“I think he is (ready to play in the NFL),” Sherrone Moore said Friday. “Whether he decides that (he wants to declare) is something we’ll talk about down the road, but I do think he is.”

On Monday, JJ McCarthy and Michigan football will take the field against Alabama in the Rose Bowl — possibly for the final time this fall. The NFL is very interested in the Wolverines’ QB, though McCarthy is clearly not set on leaving Ann Arbor just yet, so only time will tell what happens with Michigan’s quarterback room.

JJ McCarthy has the attention of Alabama defenders heading into the Rose Bowl

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy makes a pass against Ohio State during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.

In the meantime, the Michigan football quarterback most definitely has the attention of the Alabama Crimson Tide. I asked Bama defensive back Malachi Moore about JJ McCarthy on Friday morning, and unsurprisingly, the Wolverines’ QB got a lot of praise from a playoff opponent.

“Yeah he does a great job controlling (Michigan’s) offense — motions, timing up different looks, checking the defense, and getting his team into the best possible position to be successful,” Moore said. “… He (also) does a great job extending plays.”

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