J.J. McCarthy Player Of the Week: The Michigan Quarterback Now Third to Win Heisman
McCarthy and Michigan 7-0 With Road Game Against Michigan State
While the tough portion of the Michigan schedule hasn’t been played yet, the Wolverines are still 7-0 heading into Saturday’s road game against Michigan State.
The Wolverines haven’t faced a single team in the Top 25 this season. Michigan State’s another team that isn’t highly regarded or ranked. However, Michigan is getting the job done. That’s all you can ask for.
Those challenging games are coming up on the schedule soon when they face Penn State and Ohio State.
J.J. McCarthy currently leads Michigan at quarterback. He’s a junior who has helped solidify the Michigan offense this year.
After last week’s performance against Indiana, J.J. McCarthy was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Michigan earned a 52-7 win over Indiana after McCarthy went 14-for-17 for 222 yards and three touchdowns.
He also rushed for another 27 yards on ten carries.
J.J. McCarthy Player Of the Week was announced on Monday. Let’s talk about what makes him so good.
McCarthy’s First Chance
J.J. McCarthy was never gifted the starting role in Michigan. He earned it.
Last season, McCarthy was in a competition against Cade McNamara for the starting job. McNamara had the experience, but McCarthy was more highly regarded.
Eventually, in early September of 2022, McCarthy won the job outright and could focus on each game, knowing he was the guy moving forward.
With that news in mind, McCarthy’s former teammate, Cade McNamara, transferred to Iowa to be the Hawkeyes’ new starting quarterback. He was playing well until a season-ending injury earlier this season.
Still, it turns out that Michigan made the right decision between those two. McCarthy leads the nation in QBR with a 92.6 number. He’s also thrown for 14 touchdowns and has led Michigan to multiple massive wins in terms of margin.
J.J. McCarthy Player Profile & Stats
J.J. McCarthy isn’t projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. However, his stock continues to rise with his play for the Michigan Wolverines this year.
He’s also currently third in the odds for the Heisman award. Therefore, if the season ended today, it’s likely that McCarthy would be in a suit during the Heisman ceremony, sweating his name called.
If everything works out, where Michigan makes the College Football Playoff and wins the College Football Playoff Championship, McCarthy could rise as a top quarterback in the draft. It’s a loaded draft class next year, so it’ll be hard to gauge where McCarthy might land.
He’s also a junior and would be eligible to stick around with Michigan for another year to guarantee potentially a higher draft slot.
These are all questions that McCarthy hasn’t really thought of yet. He’s focused on winning games at Michigan right now.
J.J. McCarthy Career Stats
J.J. McCarthy hasn’t faced the toughest defenses. But what stands out the most is his completion percentage this year. McCarthy has completed 78.2% of passes after only completing 64.6% last season. He’s always been able to minimize turnovers, but his completion percentage should allow McCarthy to earn more yards down the field.
The junior quarterback has also rushed 30 times for 160 yards. Last year, he finished with 306 yards. So he’s also on his way to achieving more rushing yards than last season.
Let’s look at J.J. McCarthy Player Of the Week career stats.
| J.J. McCarthy | Career Stats |
|---|---|
| COMP | 523 |
| ATT | 353 |
| COMP% | 67.5% |
| PASS Yards | 4,747 |
| PASS TD | 41 |
| INTs | 10 |
| Carries | 127 |
| RUSH Yards | 590 |
| RUSH TD | 10 |
This season, McCarthy has averaged more yards per pass. He’s also earned more yards per rush. His completion percentage is much higher, and he’s on pace to account for more touchdowns than last year.
| J.J. McCarthy | 2023 Stats |
|---|---|
| COMP | 142 |
| ATT | 111 |
| COMP% | 78.2 |
| PASS Yards | 1,512 |
| PASS TD | 14 |
| INT | 3 |
| Carries | 30 |
| RUSH Yards | 160 |
| RUSH TD | 3 |
It’s Going To Get Tougher
As we acknowledged above, Michigan hasn’t faced a demanding schedule. Typically, a rivalry matchup on the road against Michigan State is tough. However, Michigan State is a 25-point underdog against Michigan this season at home.
Michigan will likely knock off Michigan State this Saturday and earn a win against Purdue at home in its next game.
However, the final three games are at Penn State, at Maryland, and a home game against Ohio State. If McCarthy shines during these matchups, he’ll still be in the race for the Heisman award.
J.J. McCarthy Player Of the Week status isn’t hard to come by. He’s earned that award multiple times in his career.
But the public will believe in him once he takes Michigan past Penn State and Ohio State this season.
The Wolverines have earned back-to-back Big Ten Championships. They’ve now got a target on their back. McCarthy knows this and will need to continue his dominant play against some of the better teams on the schedule.
The Heisman Race
Michael Penix Jr. and Dillon Gabriel are the only two players in front of McCarthy for the Heisman award. Both of those quarterbacks have been special. But they’ve also knocked off the other top teams in their respective divisions.
McCarthy hasn’t been given that opportunity yet.
Gabriel’s Oklahoma escaped Texas, while Penix Jr.’s Washington defeated Oregon. McCarthy and Michigan’s best win was against Rutgers.
They haven’t played those tough NCAAF games this season. But it’ll come. If McCarthy performs at a high level and puts up excellent stats, along with Michigan wins, he’ll be a Heisman candidate by the end of the year.
However, he likely doesn’t pass enough and earn enough stats to outpace a guy like Michael Penix Jr., For example. Penix Jr. already has 2,301 yards with 20 touchdowns. His QBR is 91.7, just like McCarthy’s, but his stats are much more inflated than McCarthy’s.
We’ll have to pay attention to the NCAAF scores and odds. If McCarthy and Michigan win, he’ll be a Heisman target. It’s even more helpful when Michigan covers the NCAAF spreads.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
