Some positive football news from JJ McCarthy
Positive news is always welcome these days. JJ is 100% on board (apparently).
December 9th, 2020 at 1:14 PM ^
I would be too, He probably thinks he can start next year.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
Change "probably thinks" to "knows" and you've nailed it.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:03 PM ^
Are we totally moving on to the next savior now and skipping over McNamara? Man, 1.5 games is even less than Milton.
December 9th, 2020 at 4:00 PM ^
McCaffrey did it in 0 starts.
December 9th, 2020 at 4:06 PM ^
In other words, Cade proved just as durable as DMac!
December 9th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
That and I think there are still a decent amount of kids that commit to a program over a coach.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:36 PM ^
If he looks the same all harb’s qbs have to exact T , then we know it’s not the player
December 9th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
This is the one that will finally convince you of that?
December 9th, 2020 at 3:42 PM ^
"Probably starts"?!?!
<insert insane laughter gif here>
December 9th, 2020 at 1:15 PM ^
Bless his heart. If I were a 5* QB I would be looking pretty much anywhere else.
Unless he knows something we don't regarding who will be coaching him
December 9th, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
Omar gonna kill you twice
December 9th, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
Wow spoilers. Next you’re gonna tell everyone Hank kills Walter White with his mineral collection.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:18 PM ^
Or he just loves Michigan no matter who is the coach.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:20 PM ^
Maybe. I mean I love Michigan too but I wouldn't let that get in the way of finding the best program to get me to the NFL (which Harbaugh clearly does not provide).
December 9th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
Michigan puts out NFL players on a regular basis.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^
Quarterbacks?
Henne in 2008 was the last A2 developed QB.
JR the Iowa transfer in 2016...and QB development has not gone well in Harbaugh's era.
December 9th, 2020 at 9:19 PM ^
In his day, Harbaugh ran the ball much more than the average NFL quarterback. He knew how to coach up Kaepernick. Not sure with Luck, but it's hard not to give him some credit there.
No idea why the position has been, objectively, a major weakness since he came here.
I've looked in depth at this issue (my most recent blog post was about running QBs in the NFL). The NFL-caliber dual-threat guys are unstoppable in college. They also hit their peaks in the NFL earlier (around the end of year two). But their careers are much, much shorter and they're soon surpassed by the sit-in-the-pocket and get it out fast guys.
We have a new generation of superstars (Jackson, Watson) challenging that story, and Russell Wilson is in that mold and isn't that far from locking up a spot in Canton. So rules are made to be broken.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:31 PM ^
^^^ THIS ^^^ (Salvatore Quattro's response)
Plus, JJ knows that he will be the starter next year, given the sh*t situation we have with our current QBs. Makes total sense why he would want to stay 100% committed. Not sure why some people think he should be looking elsewhere.
December 9th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
Speight, O'Korn, Peters, Patterson, McCaffery, and Milton is why I would be looking elsewhere
December 9th, 2020 at 2:41 PM ^
Hear me out, I know it’s crazy, but maybe those QBs aren’t talented enough to make it as an NFL QB
December 9th, 2020 at 3:10 PM ^
Not sure I buy that. Peters was a borderline top 50 recruit, he transferred out. Patterson was the top QB in his class, he got worse during his time here. McCaffery was a top 100 player in his class, he transferred out. Milton has all the raw tools in the world, he's been getting worse.
I think the talent is there. And if it isn't, then why is Harbaugh bringing these guys in?
December 9th, 2020 at 3:49 PM ^
For the same reasons NFL makes poor QB draft decisions and that's based upon much more evidence than Jim has. To wit from a recent draft, Sam Darnold at No. 3 and Josh Rosen No. 10 in 2018. Dwayne Haskins in 2019? These guys were all blue chips.
Even OSU let the best QB from last year's class get away because they had Haskins. Likewise, look at LSU this year.
Not absolving Jim, just saying there are very few franchise QBs each year. JJ looks the closest for us since Henne.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
There's plenty to pin on Harbaugh, but I'm not sure either Speight or O'Korn are great examples: as a recruit, the former was a bit of a reach by Borges, and frankly played better than I ever expected in 2016; the latter was snatched up as a flier for depth purposes and often simply struggled to hit open receivers.
Obviously, between Peters, McCaffrey, and Milton, Harbaugh should have produced a solid, Big Ten starter. [And one could argue that Patterson should have been better by the time he graduated, though he probably was overrated as a prospect.]
December 9th, 2020 at 11:24 PM ^
Harbaugh did produce a solid, Big Ten starter - Peters. He just plays for Illinois.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
lot of osu, Bama, USC, Texas, LSU and Clemson qbs in the league to support your point stringer.
December 9th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
Not quarterbacks
December 9th, 2020 at 2:43 PM ^
Schools with the most draft picks since 2000:
1) Ohio St. 141
2) Alabama 127
3) LSU 126
4) Miami (FL) 119
5) Florida 117
6) Georgia 115
7) USC 112
8) Florida St. 109
9) Oklahoma 101
First Round picks since 2000:
1t) Ohio St. 31
1t) Alabama 31
3) Miami (FL) 30
4) Florida St. 24
5t) USC 22
5t) Florida 22
7) LSU 19
8) Georgia 19
9t) Oklahoma 16
9t) Texas 16
11t)Tennessee 15
11t) Wisconsin 15
13) Michigan 14
...and the numbers look REALLY BAD if you look at offensive skill position players.
December 9th, 2020 at 2:52 PM ^
Harbaugh's been coaching Michigan since 2000?
December 9th, 2020 at 3:12 PM ^
Seriously Harbaugh has put kids into the NFL at an extremely high rate. Of all the things to take shots at him for, this is not one of them.
December 9th, 2020 at 5:04 PM ^
Think about what that really says about the state of our program.
December 9th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
When I read negative shit like the stuff you post String, I try to comfort myself knowing every program that struggles has "fans" like you - actually probably way worse!
It's like a dream of mine to someday see what bucknuts would be like if they ever had a bad season! I bet they'd be epic!
December 9th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
You want me to put a positive spin on Harbaugh's QB development? Because that would simply be lying. The QB position has largely been dogshit since he's been here. The only QB he's had drafted was Rudock who was a 6th round draft pick.
I love McCarthy's loyalty, but honestly if I were advising him I would tell him to look around because Harbaugh is not going to maximize his potential.
December 9th, 2020 at 6:02 PM ^
And I'm sure you'd have told Josh Johnson Andrew Luck & Colin Kaepernik the same.
And Rudock had been beaten out at Iowa before JH helped make him an outstanding passer. Speight was a middling Borges croot none of us ever wanted to see on the field, until he surprised us all by being pretty damn good pre-Iowa shoulder separation.
You add Peters transferring out to your list while Shea transferred in, but context free. They were direct results of each other. With hindsight we'd probably all stay with Peters now, but I was none too impressed with him turning tail & fleeing, rather than competing at the time.
In Peter's brief opportunities he proved physically fragile & looked mentally soft. He has played up to his HS crootin rep at Illinois tho. When he's on the field.
But JO'K never improving may have been foretelling of JH losing his touch with QB development, and choosing Shea over Peters may have foretold he had lost touch with communicating with this generation.
JH also drove the more highly skilled but unreliably fragile DMac off the team. That was a terrible decision, terribly handled, if you can believe the rumor mill.
All these examples show NOTHING about how a highly talented, motivated, natural leader like JJ would fare at Michigan. There is cause for concern with how the team has (failed to) develop the past 2 years, but not to where I'd tell 5⭐ QBs they ought to look elsewhere for their own good.
I love Michigan, I ALWAYS think the best decision a young person can make is go to Michigan!
Your attitude in these posts shows the worst type of negative Nancy front runner tendencies. Own that sir.
All that said, I think Harbaugh's time at Michigan should be over. It's not even the QB decisions as much as the entire team's performance. Not up to standard!
December 9th, 2020 at 6:21 PM ^
lol ok. If I were a front runner I would pick a different football team to root for, one that wins at least once in a while. I'm just giving an honest assessment of Harbaugh's QB development at Michigan, it has been subpar to say the least and if I'm a parent of a QB recruit with NFL aspirations you bet I'm steering him to a different program. I really don't care what Harbaugh did with Luck 10 years ago, or Kaepernick 8 years ago (and Kaepernick is another example of a QB getting worse the more he played under Harbaugh).
Speight was decent in 2016 but he was a game manager, not a guy that will win a title without Alabama-like talent around him. I don't think Harbaugh really elevated his play that much, and then he performed significantly worse the next season. If Peters and McCaffery had been lighting the world on fire, he wouldn't have brought in Patterson. And if he was still any good at coaching QBs, he would've turned Patterson into the NFL draft pick his recruiting profile projected him to be.
So don't sugarcoat his QB development here, it just comes off as disingenuous.
December 9th, 2020 at 8:06 PM ^
1st of all, thank fucking God your name isn't "JJ McCarthy's Dad"!
If at any sign of trouble you'd advise your own kid to go elsewhere besides Michigan, then you are the worst kind of front runner!
And as for whether Speight outperformed expectations, or could win an NC without bama level talent around him, did McElroy, McCarron or Tua? Or DeShaun or Trevor? Cardale?
Of course not! Talk about disingenuous!
Let's bottom line this, so we can move on: I believe the TEAM'S performance vs osu in '18 & '19, and throughout '20 (minus vs the wildly overrated Gophers) has earned the ENTIRE staff a pink slip. I don't need to try to convince players they'd be better off elsewhere, I'll NEVER say that!
December 9th, 2020 at 9:10 PM ^
I mean, McCarron and Tua were both Heisman finalists. Tua was a top 5 pick. Ditto Watson and Lawrence at Clemson. And all of them won national championships because they made their teams better. I really don't think that's true of Speight.
And, I mean, first sign of trouble? We still base our reputation of QB development on Tom Brady, who last played for Michigan 20 years ago. The only other guy we have in the league is career backup Chad Henne. Obviously we all thought Harbaugh would change that, he hasn't. He's merely continued a longstanding trend of generally mediocre to bad QB play. So yeah, I respect McCarthy's loyalty and think it's a sign that he's going to be a great leader and a great representative of the program. I'm very glad to have him in the fold. I'm just saying it's not the decision I would've made, not because I'm a front runner but because I don't think Michigan would be the best place for my development as a QB.
December 9th, 2020 at 9:55 PM ^
I've given you tons of shit in the past for your "fire Beilein" take, but I agree with almost everything you say regarding Harbaugh. Anyone who still thinks he's a viable option for us is in complete denial of reality.
December 9th, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
I think most of us die hards here would go to M to play in any circumstance. Such an arm chair thing to say but sometimes the love for a school cant not be damaged by anything. Clearly JJ is in that arena...which is amazing.
Mcnamara, Milton, JJ....healthy qb room
December 9th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
What if a new HC prefers dual threat QBs?
December 9th, 2020 at 1:52 PM ^
He doesn't.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
If any college coach demands only one type of player, I really don't want that coach in Ann Arbor. You can't always get the specific type of player you want in college, so you have to be able to change things up based on your personnel. You can't do that if you're stuck on only one type of player.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:31 PM ^
I completely disagree with you on this. Switching as needed from dual-threat to pro-style impacts every position on offense. For some positions it’s lost reps, and for other positions it may require differently skilled/sized players.
I don’t know why you’d want someone switching the entire offense most every year. We’ve seen that to a degree and it doesn’t work.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
didnt affect OSU going from Barrett to Haskins then Fields.
Clemson going from Watson to Lawrence?
Bama going from statues to Hurts to Tua to statue Mac Jones
December 9th, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
And, the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
JJ has wheels, fool!
Haven't you watched any IMG games this year?!
He's like the next, I don't know, Josh Allen? But accurate!
December 9th, 2020 at 2:14 PM ^
As he should... If Jim leaves, rest assured the program will get a top coach again... for Bill Martin is no longer the AD, and Warde will get it done.
December 9th, 2020 at 2:05 PM ^
I think this means Harbaugh will be back. I believe Harbaugh is the reason McCarthy committed to UM. Unless Urban Meyer already reached out to JJ.
December 10th, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
Remind us of all the NFL QBs Urbz developed?
December 9th, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
Those who stay....will be starting QB sooner rather than later.
Love this guy's commitment and willingness to change the trajectory of our program.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
Those who stay and not leave early for the nfl to play for contracts and millions of dollars.