J.J. McCarthy: ‘Most fun I’ve had playing football – everything’s just clear’
Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy looks bigger, older, and more mature — as head coach Jim Harbaugh might say, more like a man every day — but he still has his youthful exuberance. Now a seasoned leader on a national championship contender, McCarthy has elevated his game and is taking his teammates with him on a ride he expects to end at the summit.
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McCarthy was succinct after last year’s playoff loss to TCU in which he threw two pick-sixes in a 51-45 loss. He told reporters he expected to be back next year, took responsibility for his mistakes, and left the podium after a short press conference. He worked even harder this summer to prepare for the season, and he’s been so impressive in the spring and summer that other quarterbacks have gotten more reps early this fall. That’s paid off for them, McCarthy said, noting he’d seen improvement in all the backups.
The biggest takeaway in the early going, McCarthy said, is just how focused everyone has been. They all share a common goal. There are no egos — just a group of guys who love one another and want to succeed together. In a way, he said, it’s like a continuation of last year’s squad.
“It really is a train that just kept on rolling ever since TCU,” McCarthy said. “We ran into a little bit of an obstacle, but that train kept moving. All the guys that came in, the young guys, the transfers hopped on, kept helping us push all the way from the start of this winter offseason.
“It’s just been really awesome to build off that, because a lot of times you build everything up for the season. You get to a certain point, then it goes back down, and you’ve got to build it back up again. It doesn’t feel like we went back down. We just kept going.”
As a result, McCarthy added, it’s been a joy to be around every day.
“I’m always a person who drives for the best and most resistance, but it’s been the most fun I’ve had in my entire life playing football right now,” McCarthy said. “Everything’s just clear; everyone knows what’s going on, and it’s just things are effortless right now with the defense and the chemistry with the guys. I’ve been reading that defense for two, three years now, so it’s so much fun out there going against those guys.”
Whether or not he’s voted captain — and the only reason he might not be is because there are so many qualified seniors and upperclassmen — McCarthy has taken a leadership role. That was his goal this summer — to be more vocal in holding people and himself accountable — and he accomplished it. He’s also been reinforcing staying in the moment so they don’t overlook anyone, keeping the reinforcement on “winning the day.”
The chemistry with the offensive line has grown, McCarthy added, and he’s even gotten more involved with the defense to try and understand what they’re doing in certain sets. That will prepare him for anything he sees on Saturdays in the fall. He’s watched hours and hours of film, too, of his play last year.
“Most of it has just been [focused on] decision making, playing faster, on time, knowing when to run,” McCarthy said. “God gave me this great ability to use my legs … I’ve got to use them more. Being more meshed with the receivers and the chemistry … knowing, ‘okay — this guy is a little bit faster than this guy, so I’ve got to put a little less on the ball.’ Little stuff like that.”
All in an attempt to take his game to another level. By all accounts, he’s already done that. Now, it’s just about finding out how high he can go.
