Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy talks top two goals: 'We're just so close'
Junior J.J. McCarthy became the first Michigan Wolverines football quarterback to lead his team to 11 or more wins in his first season as a starter. The Wolverines won 13 games a year ago, the most in a season in program history, with one loss coming to TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl (51-45).
Michigan has made the semis the last two seasons, falling to Georgia in 2021, but is determined to make the national title game and win it all.
“That’s my ultimate goal,” McCarthy told ESPN. “I have a lot of goals, we have a lot of goals, but it’s to bring a national championship to Ann Arbor. We’re just so close.”
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McCarthy, who threw for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, had an up-and-down game against TCU. He threw two back-breaking pick-sixes but also racked up 343 passing yards, 52 rushing yards and totaled 3 touchdowns. He insisted after the loss that Michigan will be back.
To this day, McCarthy told ESPN, the “pain” he felt from that New Year’s Eve game is “still driving me today.”
McCarthy gained over 10 pounds during Michigan’s winter conditioning and said things felt “effortless” for him during spring practices. His teammates have said it feels more like his offense this season — he was injured most of last offseason, before having to battle for the starting job — and head coach Jim Harbaugh has predicted the Wolverines will air it out more.
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Winning remains the most important thing for McCarthy. He’s 25-3 as a Michigan player, including 12-1 as a starter (he came off the bench in the first game in 2022), but isn’t satisfied.
“My 1A goal is bring a national championship to Ann Arbor; 1B is to never lose to [Ohio State],” McCarthy, who’s 2-0 against the Buckeyes, said. “That will mean a lot to me. From the guys that play scout team to the guys that are touching the ball every play, we have to be our best at all times. That’s not always going to look pretty, but we just got to keep pushing, keep pushing and growing in every aspect, and we’ll be where we want to be by Nov. 25.”
McCarthy is viewed as one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football and a Heisman Trophy contender entering the 2023 season. Both The Athletic and ESPN have pegged him as a projected first-round NFL Draft pick next spring, though he will have the option to return to Michigan for the 2024 campaign.
Michigan kicks off its 2023 season against East Carolina Sept. 2 at The Big House. The Wolverines are seeking their first national championship since 1997.
