Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson on QB J.J. McCarthy: 'He enables us to do a lot of things'
Michigan football’s passing offense got a shot in the arm over the weekend with sophomore J.J. McCarthy being named the team’s starting quarterback. His rocket arm and unique ability were on display and are already paying dividends for the Wolverines.
Senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson was one who benefitted from a more wide-open passing attack. He finished a 56-10 win over Hawai’i with 2 catches for 71 yards and was the recipient of a perfectly-placed ball on a post route that went for 56 yards down the field.
“J.J. made a great throw on that play,” Johnson told the media on Tuesday night. “It’s something at all times, you’ve got to be ready for anything. And for us to be able to connect on that was big because in terms of trust — trusting me to be in the right spot. He placed the ball right there on the sideline. It worked out perfectly.”
From State Street to Main Street
Michigan players see it from McCarthy – who went 11-for-12 for 229 yards and 3 TDs vs. Hawai’i – in practice every day. Nothing he did in Week 2 registered as a surprise.
“Those moments were really big for our team,” Johnson said. “I’m glad we were able to connect on some of those big plays last Saturday. It’s something that we’ve been working on every day here in Schembechler Hall. So it’s great to see that translate here over on State Street over to Main Street with everybody watching on national TV.
“His skills and talents enable us to do a lot of things. He’s a great quarterback. And none of the things that we’re seeing on Saturday — at least from my perspective — none of the things we’re seeing on Saturdays are surprising to me, because that’s something we see every day here on State Street. To see the work he puts in on a daily basis, I’m glad and happy for him that that pays off for him in that stadium. So it’s not a surprise to me at all, based on everything that he’s done in the dark in spring ball, fall camp and all that.”
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Michigan man modeling himself after a Detroit Lion
Johnson has 4 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown so far this season as he looks to take his game to the next level. Players are often grabbing bits and pieces of NFL stars’ game to add to their repertoire. Johnson has been watching a local star with the Detroit Lions.
“Recently I’ve been watching ‘Hard Knocks’ this last year with the Lions and then I had a fantasy football draft the other week, drafted Amon-Ra St. Brown,” he said. “I’ve been tracking him since Mater Dei, USC, now the Detroit Lions — teammates with Aidan. And he got me like 20-something points this weekend. I actually won my fantasy game. I like the way he runs his routes and catches the ball. So that’s one guy.
“In terms of legendary players, like in the past, I’ll probably say Larry Fitzgerald. For some reason, I feel like people sleep on him. I don’t know why, because he has the second-most yards and second-most touchdowns behind Jerry Rice. People don’t think he’s top three. I think that’s crazy. I think he’s the second-best of all time.”
Johnson and the Wolverines look to move to 3-0 this weekend with Connecticut in town. Kickoff from Michigan Stadium is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday with the broadcast on ABC.
