The starting quarterback of the 2023 College Football Playoff national champion Michigan Wolverines is headed to the NFL, and J.J. McCarthy is even expected to be a first-round pick. The former four-star recruit went 27-1 as the starter at Michigan, which is good enough for third-best by any quarterback in FBS history.
In 40 total games played at Michigan, McCarthy threw 49 touchdowns compared to just 11 interceptions. While the Wolverines were the best team in college football this year, the offense didn’t exactly run through McCarthy. His 2,991 passing yards ranked 35th in the country, and he attempted just 18 passes in the championship win over Washington. While he didn’t put up gaudy numbers like Michael Penix Jr., could McCarthy have a bright future at the next level?
Let’s take a look at the five best potential landing spots for McCarthy. These are not the most likely landing spots, but the best “fits” for the Michigan quarterback.
How about reuniting Mike Macdonald with his former college quarterback? It’s true that Macdonald and McCarthy were together for just one year, but you have to think that the new youngest head coach in the NFL is going to attempt to build a team in Seattle that looks similar to what the Wolverines were in 2023. Play incredible defense, and run the football.
McCarthy would not start immediately in Seattle with Geno Smith still QB1, but maybe that’s a good thing. McCarthy just turned 21 years old, so sitting for a bit and learning under Smith while Macdonald builds his team/culture would be beneficial.
Kirk Cousins is a free agent, but the Vikings should be in the quarterback market even if he does end up returning to the fold. Cousins turns 36 in August and is of course coming off a torn Achilles. The Vikings are an attractive landing spot for any young quarterback. You get to play indoors with the offensive-minded former quarterback Kevin O’Connell crafting his game plan toward you. Plus, you get Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson to throw the ball to. It’s a favorable situation for a young player, even if you have to sit behind Cousins for a couple years.
The hiring of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator makes me think McCarthy could be a good fit in Pittsburgh. Some view Smith as an offensive coach who couldn’t get the most out of his top weapons in Atlanta, but what we do know about Smith is that he can build a…
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