What J.J. McCarthy wants to prove in his first career start at Michigan

Michigan Wolverines football senior quarterback Cade McNamara made 16 consecutive starts, but that streak will end Saturday night when sophomore J.J. McCarthy opens against Hawai’i. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is still evaluating who his full-time starter will be, saying he’s “hopeful” he’ll have enough data points by next week.

Despite receiving the promotion to starter, at least for this week, McNamara isn’t changing how he prepares.

“Nothing really differs,” McCarthy said. “Right when I stepped here in the door, I was always prepared to be the guy — snap 1, game 1, whatever it was. Now, it’s just having that reassurance that I’m going to be in there snap 1, io it kind of clears all the worry and indecisiveness going into it, and it just builds more confidence, honestly.”

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He’s confident, too, fresh off a stellar performance in limited action during Michigan’s 51-7 win over Colorado State in Week 1. He was a perfect 4-for-4 passing for 30 yards and added 50 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, on the ground.

“Extremely [high],” McCarthy said of his confidence level. “Being around guys that we have here and being around coaches that we have here, they just fill you with uber confidence, and I’ve always been a guy to have extreme confidence in myself so being around guys like that and coaches like that only amplifies it.”

Based on 2022 game action, McCarthy has the edge in the Michigan quarterback competition. McNamara struggled a bit before setting in, going 9-for-18 passing for 136 yards and 1 touchdown. The offense settled for 3 red-zone field goals while he was behind center in the first half.

McCarthy explained what exactly he’s trying to prove in the 2nd game of the season.

“Everything that I’ve been trying to prove since I walked in the door here,” he said. “That I can win football games for this team, and I love every single one of my guys, love every single part of this university, and just exuberate that endlessly throughout the game.”

He’s waited some time for his first start, but he wasn’t impatient.

“I haven’t thought about it too much, to be honest with you,” McCarthy said. “I’m always a person that it’s going to come naturally. No matter what it is, I’m always going to be ready for it. I’m extremely hellbent on being in the present moment and whatever happens, happens.”

Overall, he can’t wait to have fun with his Michigan teammates in front of the Wolverines’ crowd. It should be an electric environment for the 8 p.m. ET kick.

“It’s like Friday Night Lights on steroids,” McCarthy said of Michigan Stadium in primetime. “It’s just a no better feeling. You feel like you’re out there in the backyard, Nazareth Academy, just with your boys, having the best time in the world after school. It’s amplified like crazy just because of the scene that it’s in, but it feels like Friday Night Lights.”

J.J. McCarthy on improvement, being a factor in the Michigan run game

McCarthy rotated in at times for Michigan last season, appearing in 11 games. He completed 34 of his 59 pass attempts for 516 yards and 5 touchdowns with 2 interceptions.

McCarthy has high-level mobility and a strong arm, which allows him to make big plays. That can sometimes lead to mistakes, but McCarthy has improved in that area and others, per Harbaugh.

“Just overall experience,” McCarthy said of what he’s improved on the most since arriving at Michigan. “I really took that experience factor seriously when I actually lived it.

“Being here for a whole year just did monumental amounts to my game. I also feel like reading defensive coverages has become instinctual now. Understanding different keys on the defense that I can look at to simplify the thought processes going into each snap. Another is the running game, being able to run the ball, avoid those hits, add a couple tools to my bag to get away from defenders.”

McCarthy said he’s gotten faster since coming to Michigan, too, and Harbaugh actually revealed this week that he can run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5s. As shown last week, McCarthy’s legs open up a different element for the offense.

“[Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks] Coach [Matt] Weiss, coming from the Ravens and being with Lamar [Jackson], he has so much wisdom and knowledge about that quarterback run game.

“I do feel like adds a different dimension to our run game. It allows more space for blocks, it allows the second-level defenders to worry about me with the ball. It does a lot for us. It makes bigger holes, creates more space on the perimeter. It does very good things.”

J.J. McCarthy fully healthy after offseason full of challenges

McCarthy dealt with a labrum shoulder injury this offseason and wasn’t fully healthy until the end of the summer heading into fall camp. Now, he’s “110 percent,” he says.

Throughout the challenging offseason, there were times that McCarthy thought his opportunity might not come this season.

“Yeah, for sure, those thoughts crept in,” the Michigan quarterback explained. “I just had trust in [U-M head athletic trainer] Phil [Johnson] and the trainers and all the people I saw outside of here that if I just stuck to the process and got my back then I’d be in the position I am today.”

McCarthy thought at 1 point he’d go the surgical route, but after hearing more opinions, decided to go with straight rehab.

“It was a long process,” McCarthy said. “I first, initially, was like, ‘Let’s get the surgery, let’s get this figured out,’ because I never had any arm issues before and I was so worried about being right for the future.

“After getting right opinions and going to guys who have been in situations like this before, we came down to the perfect plan which was rehab it, let it heal naturally, and it worked out for the best.”