Two Michigan Football Stars Recognized Among Nation’s Elite

The 2024 Michigan football roster is one of the best ever assembled by Jim Harbaugh in his time at Michigan. For three straight years, Michigan football has had a player finish in the top 10 for Heisman Trophy votes. This year, two Wolverines made the list, as Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy rounded out the bottom with the 9th and 10th spots respectively.

Michigan football stars Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy finish top 10 in Heisman voting

Despite being hailed as a top Heisman contender midway through the season, JJ McCarthy did not end up getting invited to New York for this year’s ceremony. In fact, McCarthy just barely found himself in the top 10 with the No. 10 ranking.

McCarthy was able to lead his team to the No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff, but ultimately the lack of eye-popping stats (19 passing TD’s, 2,630 yards) was not enough to convince the Heisman Voters for a higher ranking. Earlier in the season, McCarthy seemed on track to win the Trophy, but a couple of quiet games have since moved him out of the top-4 conversation.

Much of the reason McCarthy lacks the stats of other elite quarterbacks is because of Michigan’s red zone approach. After all, when you also have a Heisman contender running back, why not just hand the ball off on the goal line? Blake Corum has seemed unstoppable this year in short-yardage situations and has racked up 24 touchdowns to prove it.

Corum’s stat sheet was enough to place him above JJ McCarthy in Heisman votes, but just barely. Corum finished this year 9th in Heisman votes, two spots lower than last year.

Wolverine Heisman contenders fall short for third straight year

In 2022, Corum seemed like the evident frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy but suffered a late-season injury which was enough to move him out of the top-4. The year before that, Aidan Hutchinson made a strong case to be the second defender to ever win the trophy but ended up finishing in second place. This year, it was McCarthy that seemed like the evident frontrunner just weeks before the voting ceremony, but ultimately it’s a third straight swing and a miss for Michigan fans.

Still, Michigan fans have plenty to be thankful for, as three straight years with Heisman candidates shows the strength of Harbaugh’s team building. The Wolverines will get to see just how good this year’s team is when they travel to Pasadena this New Year’s to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl for a trip to the National Championship.

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