Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy on being Heisman Trophy frontrunner: 'Tremendous honor, but I could care less'

Heading into Week 9 of the college football season, Michigan Wolverines football junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the favorite to win the 2023 Heisman Memorial Trophy, according to BetMGM, Draftkings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Other quarterbacks like reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams of USC and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. have fallen off a bit in recent weeks. Williams threw 3 picks in a loss to Notre Dame and his team has dropped two-straight games, while Penix gave the ball away twice in a narrow victory over 1-6 Arizona State. Penix, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel remain contenders for college football’s most prestigious awards, according to Vegas odds.

McCarthy, meanwhile, has been consistent all season, save for a 3-interception game against Bowling Green. He ranks second nationally with a 78.1 completion percentage and is tied for second with 10.6 yards per attempt. The 6-3, 202-pounder has added 18 touchdowns against 3 picks.

Perhaps more importantly, McCarthy has two top-10 matchups coming up — Nov. 11 at Penn State and Nov. 25 against Ohio State. Both will be nationally televised and some of the biggest games of the college football season that fans and Heisman voters will be watching.

The Michigan quarterback was asked about how he’s approaching the Heisman Trophy conversation, brushing off its importance in favor of focusing on team success.

“It’s a tremendous honor, but at the end of the day, I could care less about that,” McCarthy said Monday. “I don’t really care about trophies — I care about championships. That’s the same thing that this entire team cares about. So, it’s a tremendous honor, but we’re going to still focus on our goals and getting better every day.”

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McCarthy has connected on 132 of his 169 pass attempts for 1,799 yards. He’s fresh off tossing a career-high 4 scores in a 49-0 statement win over Michigan State, in which he amassed 287 yards through the air. In addition to his passing numbers, McCarthy has added 33 rushes for 168 yards and 3 scores.

Two of his teammates have been in the Heisman Trophy conversation over the last two seasons. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson finished the runner up in 2021 and running back Blake Corum was seventh in voting last season.

“It was exactly that, just observing both of them, and they were just so focused on getting better every day,” McCarthy said. “You wouldn’t even know that they were up for the Heisman. Nothing changed in their daily routine, nothing changed in their work ethic and their motivation going into every day, so I’m just going to do the same.”

He appears to be doing the same.

“I’m just keeping it very simple — very simple,” McCarthy continued. “Just focusing on my day to day wins that I’m trying to accomplish every single day, like getting in the cold tub or having that bone broth I’m having every single morning. Just keep things in perspective for me, and just head down, focused on getting better.”

A big fan of 2019 Heisman winner Joe Burrow from LSU, McCarthy said he hasn’t thought much about winning the award himself, even growing up.

“When Joe Burrow won it, that just sticks in my head,” the Michigan standout said. “I never really really thought of that. Ever since I was young, I was just focused on putting rings on my finger — nothing other than that.”

The Michigan signal-caller is dangerous while scrambling and keeping his eyes down field. On what Sports Info Solutions considers “broken plays,” McCarthy leads the country with 246 passing yards and 6 touchdowns (the touchdown total is tied with Williams). McCarthy is also 25-of-27 for 361 yards and 7 touchdowns when throwing on the move.

“That’s just one of the tools that [quarterbacks] Coach [Kirk] Campbell has helped teach me going into this year of being a better quarterback and manipulating the defense with my eyes,” McCarthy said of improving the use of his eyes. “It was something that I didn’t really know about the last two years. All the way from fall camp, spring ball and doing it on Saturdays has helped me tremendously.”

While not a captain, McCarthy has been a leader for his Michigan team, and his “unselfishness” has been lauded. The Wolverines have won every game by 24-plus points, so he’s only thrown 4 passes in any fourth quarter this season and 82 other quarterbacks in the sport have attempted more passes then him, yet he hasn’t complained.

Michigan hasn’t had a Heisman Trophy winner since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. The Wolverines have had three all time, with halfback Tom Harmon (1940) and wide receiver Desmond Howard (1991) being the other two. All three had monster games against arch rival Ohio State.