Where McCarthy Ranks with Top Quarterbacks This Season and in Wolverine History

J.J. is right near the top in passing efficiency, yards per pass attempt and Heisman odds, and gaining on Michigan's top all-time passers, including Harbaugh

Photo by Derek Kornacki

J.J. McCarthy fires a bullet pass against Rutgers this season. Trevor Keegan (No. 77), Drake Nugent (No. 60) and Zak Zinter (No. 65) supply the protection.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Where does J.J McCarthy rank with the nation’s top quarterbacks and those who came before him at Michigan?

While his 1,512 yards passing rank 43^rd nationally this season, that mid-range total correlates with the fact that he throws significantly fewer passes than most others. McCarthy, however, ranks third in passing yards per attempt with 10.65. LSU’s Jayden Daniels (11.03) and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (10.7) rank one-two.

And in the stat that measures all a quarterback does throwing – passing efficiency – McCarthy is second at 195.92 behind Daniels’ 197.74. Penix (189.9) and USC’s Caleb Williams (187.03) are right behind J.J.

Where all of this relates to Heisman Trophy candidacies, let’s look at how www.BetOnline.ag rates the odds on its favorites: Penix (2/3) is followed by McCarthy, Florida State’s Jordan Travis and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel all at 9/1. Daniels has 14/1 odds after Week 7.

However, make no mistake about it, McCarthy will have plenty to say about who wins the Heisman with his performances at Penn State and at home against Ohio State.

As for his place in school history, McCarthy passed two legendary Wolverine quarterbacks in Saturday’s 52-7 win over Indiana.

He was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week for completing 14-of-17 passes for 222 yards and three touchdown passes while also making some dazzling runs.

And in doing so, McCarthy ran his career passing yardage to 4,467 -- passing Rick Leach (4,284, 1975-78) and Brian Griese (4,393, 1994-97) to move into 11^th place.

Leach was an All-American who finished third in Heisman voting and Griese, an All-Big Ten first team selection as a senior, did what McCarthy aspires to more than anything else – winning a national championship in 1997.

So, he’s moved up to the plateau where the best of the best rest.

What does that mean to McCarthy?

“It means a lot because of the amount of blood, sweat and tears that all those former quarterbacks and every former Michigan Wolverine put in to get where we are right now,” he said. “But at the end of the day, stats – you know me – it doesn’t matter at all.

“It doesn’t matter where I am on the leader boards or anything like that. I’ll look at those when I leave this place. But, you know, it’s just onto the next week.”

And Saturday night’s game at Michigan State.

Harbaugh smiled when I asked him about McCarthy passing some great quarterbacks.

“J.J. is one of those once-in-a-generation type quarterbacks at Michigan,” said Harbaugh, beginning by revisiting his quote from earlier this season. “He is continuing to improve, too. He’s so locked in at all times and he’s like everybody on our team – they play for each other. He certainly does. He’s willing to do anything for anybody on the team.

“It’s perfect. It’s just perfect when you’ve got a quarterback like that.”

Next in line for McCarthy are No. 10 Steve Smith (4,860 yards passing, 1980-83), No. 9 Tom Brady (5,351, 1996-99) and No. 8 Harbaugh (5,449, 1983-86). He will pass that highly-celebrated trio by maintaining his current 216 yards per game through the regular season.

Harbaugh said that when he’s asked about play-calling in situations such as fourth-and-one, what it really comes down to in making a decision is his quarterback.

“I know the ball’s going to be in No. 9’s hands,” he said. “…Mainly, what it comes down to, is No. 9’s going to make it right. Great confidence that the odds are in our favor.”

McCarthy is the most accurate Michigan passer for both a career (.675) and a single season (.782) for 2023.

Against the Hoosiers, McCarthy was at his best on the 54-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland on the first drive of the second half. He began the play by sprinting to his right to avoid the blitz, buying time and space to throw. Then he waved for Loveland to adjust his route deep and near the right sideline, waited an instant, and hit a wide-open Loveland -- who used his running ability on the final 28 yards to the end zone.

McCarthy drew Indiana defensive back Phillip Dunnam, who was covering Loveland, by beginning to run for the first down on third-and-10.

“Colston did a great job of keeping No. 1’s [defensive lineman Andre Carter] eyes inside,” said McCarthy, “and so I was able to escape the pocket and it was two-on-one with the defender with me and Colston. I told [Loveland] to go up field and he [Dunnam] has to pick his poison. And he picked the wrong one.”

Loveland said: “That’s just scramble drill. You see it all the time in football. It’s something we work on in practice. But, you know, he said, ‘Go up field.’ So, you just do what he says. It was a great catchable ball, and great blocks, too. Shout-outs to Roman [Wilson] and T-Mo [Tyler Morris], too.”

McCarthy used a play fake handoff to Blake Corum to freeze defenders for an instant before finding Wilson alone in the back of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down against the Hoosiers.

“Just looking at him, I can tell from his eyes what he’s going to do,” said Wilson, who made his ninth touchdown catch in seven games. “For me, it’s not like communication. I just know I’ve got to get open.”

McCarthy also had a crazy toss that resembled an option pitch for a 14-yard gain to tailback Donovan Edwards.

“We just turned it into scrambled eggs – as we call it,” said McCarthy. “Getting active, getting outside the pocket, and waiting for guys to get open because you can’t cover forever. And, you know, that play, I was thinking about throwing it with my left hand. But I said, ‘No. That’s not me.’

“I just threw the old flip.”

What’s wild is that it so closely resembled the 6-yard touchdown Harbaugh flicked ahead with a shovel pass to Gerald White in the classic 12-10 loss at Iowa in 1985. The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 and Michigan No. 2 in that game.

It was a tough day to throw last Saturday just as it was 38 years ago in Iowa City. Winds gusted up to 30 mph and it was raining more than half of the game. But McCarthy thrived anyway by completing 14 of 17 passes with zero interceptions.

“I didn’t think it was that nasty actually,” said McCarthy. “…And something like Coach Harbaugh said, ‘No matter what. If it’s a hurricane out there, we’re still going to sling that rock.’ Being from Chicago, and having to deal with that my whole life, it’s just like second nature.’’

That’s the essence of McCarthy, taking whatever conditions are given him, and finding a way.

Harbaugh told reporters Monday: “Going forward, I think J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks [at Michigan] are compared to.” Then he added that McCarthy is “on the path to be the best quarterback in Michigan history.”

Wow.

Harbaugh continues finding words that take his praise of McCarthy even higher.

So, enjoy it. Savor the opportunity to watch McCarthy. Like Harbaugh says, quarterbacks like him provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Photo by Derek Kornacki

J.J. McCarthy obliges a young fan on the field with an autograph after the Rutgers game.