Jim Harbaugh provides update on growth of JJ McCarthy

JJ McCarthy has come out firing since getting his first taste of starting for Michigan. He went off against Hawaii and then kept it going in the Wolverine’s win over UConn. Through the pair of blowout wins, Jim Harbaugh has loved what he’s seen from his new starter.

Harbaugh talked about McCarthy’s progression following Michigan’s 59-0 win over the Huskies. He says he has been very happy with McCarthy’s mindset and that it’s led to some incredible play on the field.

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“He’s just very locked in. Very, very good. Keeps getting better and better from my vantage point,” said Harbaugh. “Going through progressions, going through reads, making plays, really throwing the ball accurately, and making really good decisions. Very good with the timing.”

Michigan has won by a combined score of 115-10 the last two weeks with McCarthy as the starter. That’s not anything against Cade McNamara’s 51-7 win over Colorado State in the opener, but McCarthy has brought some new buzz into a program that was already very excited. During his two starts, he has completed 87.5% of his passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns.

Harbaugh credits some of the excitement around McCarthy to his giddy approach to the game of football. He says McCarthy plays with a child-like delight that has made it easy for him and the program to look to him as the starter.

“He kind of wows me at walk-through. Just the way he bounces around and the enthusiasm he has for playing,” said Harbaugh. “It’s just like a kid in a candy store. It’s fun to be around him.”

As a sophomore, JJ McCarthy has come in and taken the job from a senior who helped take the Wolverines to the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff. That says a lot about where he is now and where he can be in the future. The next step in his progression to what he can be will come next week when Michigan opens Big Ten play against Maryland.