One More Year—JJ's response "I don't know how I could leave here."
1. He seems so primed to come back
2. What else can we do to make it happen?
3. When/how will we know?
January 10th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
It's all top appease the crowd, he wasn't going to stand up there while the chant was going on and say "I'm leaving" Maybe he stays maybe he leaves but i wouldn't take anything from that pep rally to heart.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:11 AM ^
It's a matter of getting out alive.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:38 PM ^
Yeah we’d love for him to stay but I wouldn’t put too much stock into his comments made at a ceremony celebrating him and the team less than 24 hours after winning the CFP.
Have we not learned any lessons from similar incidents of false hope:
January 10th, 2024 at 11:11 AM ^
I don't think cheering for a player to come back is ever a bad thing.
McCarthy is a headstrong kid who seems mature beyond his years. No doubt the unwavering support could help.
I think the biggest question is: does Jim return and promise him a better pass/run ratio? Or does Coach Moore take over and adjust slightly to get this guy back?
I am really excited about this potential offense:"
QB: McCarthy (with Orji run packages)
RB: Mullings, Edwards (with some cameos from Hall/Cabana)
WR: Morgan, Morris
TE/FB: Loveland, Bredeson
OL: Tons of new contributors available: El-Haddi, Crippen, Priebe + Trente Jones and who else
To those who say the entire team is leaving, lol. I have news for you - this program is loaded!
January 10th, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
"I think the biggest question is: does Jim return and promise him a better pass/run ratio?"
I don't think Jim needs to make any such promises. I think if Jim leaves, JJ is definitely gone. If Jim stays, JJ just might stay as well. They obviously have a very strong relationship.
Most things in this world are mostly about relationships. When not, that tends to be a character flaw. I don't see much in the way of character flaw on team 144.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:20 AM ^
Look at the numbers: late 1st/early second will get about $10m for 4 years with a $5m signing bonus. So that’s about $3.5M per. I think UM gets him back if they can give him $3m and some commitment to a bit more throwing.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:29 AM ^
Man, that's some cold, calculating, economics decision making right there. From what we know of JJ, I doubt that's his thinking.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:02 PM ^
It should be the thinking of *someone* in his camp that he trusts. Hes got 60ish more years of life to live.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:47 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh. I believe he advised Blake to go to the NFL last year.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:32 AM ^
The decision is pretty much what it has always been from a financial standpoint. If he can improve his draft stock he might be better off coming back. But, he risks lowering his draft stock if he has a bad year or gets hurt.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:48 AM ^
J.J. just thinks differently. I would not be surprised if he says “Get $3 million of NIL to go to my Foundation, and I’ll stick around.”
January 10th, 2024 at 12:06 PM ^
But going deeper than that, JJ is at BEST going to be the #4 QB taken this year behind Wiliams, Maye, and Penix. He likely could drop further.
If he comes back next year, who is he drafting against? Shadeur Sanders and?? I'm sure there are a few but I think he moves up 1-2 slots in the draft order.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
There is no way to say that before the draft process (combine, workouts, interviews and the coaches getting involved in studying the players) plays itself out. If history has taught us anything it's that Quarterbacks will always get over-drafted.
Anthony Richardson was not considered to be the #4 pick at this time last year. Were Zach Wilson and Trey Lance the second and third best players in 2021? Did anyone have Daniel Jones going #6 overall in 2019? Were Jared Goff and Carson Wentz the two best players in 2016? There are many, many more examples.
JJ is twenty years old with maturity beyond his years, a sterling 26-1 record and just about every tool in the toolkit. It's very easy to see an organization in the top 5-10 falling in love.
Penix is 3 years older, had a perfect system and supporting cast to put up big numbers, and comes with significant injury concerns. I don't see any way he goes ahead of JJ once teams have had a chance to go through a full evaluation.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
I dunno.
Penix seemed to go limp at the end of the game on Monday.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:39 PM ^
Quinn Ewers will be in next year's draft.
This year, JJ might fall behind Bo Nix, as well as the others mentioned.
January 10th, 2024 at 3:59 PM ^
If this is strictly financially driven and the NIL money equals the 1st year pay, you go to the NFL 100% of the time to fast track to that lucrative second contract.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:25 AM ^
My money is on the latter part of your question. I think Harbz leaves, and there is an understanding that for Moore to help succeed as the HC, JJ stays and is used as a bridge next year for the Davis and co. Selfishly, I’d like him to go because that 27-1 record is mighty nice to brag about.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:45 AM ^
Part of me wants to see JJ keep that 27-1 record that places him in the top echelon of top W-L records in the history of college QBs. I also want to see him get his rightful payday without the threat of injury. But another part of me wants to see him accomplish the other two goals that he set for himself, which is to become a team captain and to graduate his degree.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
that 27-1 record is mighty nice to brag about.
You know what's better than 27-1?
43-1.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:44 PM ^
You think JJ would stay to help the new coach? That would be a very dumb reason, and he’s not dumb.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:27 AM ^
This. I think Klatt and Cowherd were talking, and basically said he didn't have to make many high-level throws against UW, and might really benefit his stock by coming back. That seems potentially right to me, plus he won't be hurting for NIL money at this point.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:41 AM ^
I'll do my part.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:29 AM ^
Other fan bases, “they are losing so much” shows they don’t know our roster.
This team is loaded next year.
Absolutely loaded and JJ would be the key piece to that puzzle.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:35 AM ^
Loaded from a talent standpoint, but losing a lot of leadership/experience.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:38 AM ^
Also, loaded without a required portal raid. That means the culture perpetuates, especially if JJ stays.
Ohio thinks that’s Day is doing a great job rejiggering their team this offseason, but all he’s really doing is replacing players that have left or were forced out with portal mercenaries.
I’ll take our point of view, thanks.
January 10th, 2024 at 4:33 PM ^
Michigan is losing a TON of great players and leaders. To pretend otherwise is just not accurate or a good idea.
That isn't saying they have nothing left. They will have many good players and several great players. But we are losing an absolute ton.
Rob
January 10th, 2024 at 10:48 PM ^
Not loaded. Good, yes. Very good, possibly. Terrific DL returns. But they have a lot of unproven players. They have no top receivers and will have to largely replace the OL, the linebackers, the running backs, the safeties, and 2 out of 3 corners. That’s quite a bit more than we had to replace a year ago
January 10th, 2024 at 11:40 AM ^
I think WR next year is a big question mark. At least, the downfield options with Wilson and CJ leaving. I'd love to see us get a stud from the portal barring 1 or 2 younger guys stepping up.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
This is the area that we really have missed on over the last 2-3 cycles. We have a lot of slot guys and tweeners but no one like Mazda Marv or a Rome Odunze. We can try to substitute in Loveland and our other Y tight ends for jump balls and such but it would be nice to have some Big outside threats as both possession guys and vertical threats.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:43 AM ^
I'll be surprised if Orji stays, if JJ returns. Kid wants to play, like anyone else.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:53 AM ^
Yeah, I think we need to find a way to keep Orji happy because I think he is the short-term future at QB. At the same time, we need to find out if he can lead the offense, read defenses, get through his progressions, and make accurate and catchable throws.
January 10th, 2024 at 4:35 PM ^
Do you think that if JJ leaves, that Orji starts? That would be a fairly terrifying prospect if we were hoping for Michigan to continue to compete at the highest level.
Rob
January 10th, 2024 at 10:51 PM ^
No chance they hand the program to Orji, who has not been trusted to throw a single pass. If they considered him next man up, they would have given him some passing opportunities. No way. It’s either JJ or a grad transfer next year. Period.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:15 AM ^
He also added:
January 10th, 2024 at 11:32 AM ^
"Don't trust everything you read on the internet."
-Abraham Lincoln
January 10th, 2024 at 1:08 PM ^
Pretty sure that was Michael Gretzky.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
I hate that JJ and Harbaugh had about 15 seconds to celebrate their win before being hounded for answers about their future plans.
We’ll know soon enough. And tbh, JJ’s draft grade may be changing. He’d be foolish to make a decision without all the information and input that the professionals can offer. His agent is probably still canvassing NFL scouts.
(my OPINION is that JJ should come back IF he can get commitment from Michigan that the offense will go through him next year. It didn’t this year. It didn’t the year before. The offense hasn’t run through a QB ever in Harbaugh’s Michigan tenure. That can change.)
January 10th, 2024 at 11:25 AM ^
Pope cmon. You have been around.
JJ going to Harbaugh and saying I’m only coming back if the offense runs through me?
JJ is and the program are the team the team the team.
Now maybe they discuss trying to open it up but no promises when each game is a circumstance.
I honestly don’t think Michigans offense hurts a QB. These scouts see enough to know what they have to work with.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:40 AM ^
I agree with everything in your post except the last paragraph.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:05 PM ^
Fair.
January 10th, 2024 at 10:55 PM ^
Harbaugh would never ever make that deal. And JJ wouldn’t demand it. But if Harbaugh leaves, Moore could make that offer. I’m sure Moore has his own plans.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
He has to declare by Jan 15th so we’ll know by Monday
January 10th, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
I did not know this. No declarations can be declared after that day? So if he does not declare to leave for NFL by January 15th, he HAS to go pro? For some reason, that does not feel right.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:25 AM ^
I believe he has to declare by 1/15 to be eligible for the draft. If he doesn't declare he's staying
January 10th, 2024 at 11:30 AM ^
Then there's a withdraw deadline at some point I think? Feb 2nd Internet seems to say. So technically even if he declares by 15th he might come back still :fingers crossed:
January 10th, 2024 at 11:45 AM ^
He 100% will declare for the draft this year with the intention of being evaluated and then decide if he removes his name and comes back.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:08 PM ^
Does this happen very often? I know that's more of a thing with the NBA draft. I just can't think of any players in CFB that declared and then removed their names after.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:21 AM ^
Please don’t start giving me more hope than I should have…I’m an optimist by nature.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:01 PM ^
I feel the same way. I was 100% “he’s leaving” until this moment and now I’m like, “Well, if he knew he was leaving, he might say something less equivocal, like ‘I will always love Michigan’ or something….” Hope is a dangerous thing.
January 10th, 2024 at 11:22 AM ^
I think it would be good for him, and us.