Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy reacts to Jim Harbaugh's Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen comparisons, discusses 'amazing' offseason
Michigan Wolverines football junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had an outstanding offseason leading into the 2023 campaign, by all accounts. He revealed this spring he gained over 10 pounds of muscle, and reiterated this week in an interview with WXYZ’s Brad Galli that he’s “bigger, faster, stronger.”
Last offseason, McCarthy was recovering from a shoulder injury, before battling Cade McNamara for the starting job and eventually winning it two weeks into the season. Now, it’s his Michigan offense, and he’s one of the top team leaders.
“In every which way, honestly,” McCarthy said of how he’s taken advantage of the offseason. “Getting better with the receivers, getting that connection going with everyone on the offense. Honestly, it’s just been amazing to be healthy, not have that in the back of my head, not have it on my mind all the time when I’m going into throwing sessions, so it’s been really awesome.
“I just feel like it’s been peaceful. It’s been great to have those opportunities to be with the guys and know what’s happening. Nobody is unsure of anything. It’s been really good.”
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Multiple times this summer, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has compared McCarthy to NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, referring to both their physical tools but also that they’re “willing to do anything for their team.” He says that’s the most important quality a quarterback can have, and McCarthy possesses it.
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“It means so much coming from him, because I just value his opinion so much,” McCarthy reacted. “It just reaffirms to me that I know that what I’m doing is the right thing, and just continue to do that. But at the end of the day, I just gotta keep focusing on myself, keep improving myself. Like he always says, I emulate those boys, I observe them all the time, but I’m trying to surpass them.”
McCarthy and Michigan have high expectations for the upcoming season, with the goals remaining consistent — to beat Michigan State, beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten and national championships. But it’s the daily grind that’s the main focal point.
“It’s been consistent every single day, just focusing on the now, focusing on the present moment,” McCarthy said. “How can I get better each and every day, and how can I build up those consistent daily actions that put me in a positive direction? We’ve just been focusing on that ‘win-the-day’ mentality, and eventually we’ll get to where we want to be when those goals come.
“The amount of work that I’ve put in has been exhausting, and I’ve loved every single second of it. I love that pain, I love that camaraderie with the guys, going through stuff. It’s been absolutely amazing, been seven to eight workouts a week. It was a little bit too much sometimes, but it was exactly what we needed.”
