JJ going pro .
January 14th, 2024 at 4:08 PM ^
WestQuad, Go to his announcement/post.
Hold one finger on the "ctrl" key/button on your laptop.
Roll the wheel on your mouse to the front of the mouse and your picture will enlarge to a readable size.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Selfishly, this is not the news I wanted. I'll always root for him. Thank you, JJ, for bringing it home for us all to enjoy.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Thank you and good luck sir!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
He had a terrific career here and wish him all the best in the future!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Think this is an excellent move on his part - projected late first round and when you look at it, there are a surprising number of playoff and close to playoff caliber teams that could really use a QB. Hope he lands at the best possible fit.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:27 PM ^
I think it’s a mistake. Maybe because Michigan doesn’t throw the ball as much as other schools, his game isn’t quite as well-rounded as it could be. He’s still missing the touch pass and always goes with the fastball. Penix and Nix greatly improved their draft positions by staying and gaining experience. McCarthy may go in the 1st round, and he may even go fairly high, but I don’t think he’s a guaranteed 1st rounder, which I believe he would be if he stayed. For Michigan’s prospects in 2024, this is a bigger loss than if Harbaugh leaves.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:32 PM ^
This is such a fan take by saying it’s a mistake. I honestly think it is the best decision for him. There are no guarantees that next year would provide him any more opportunities than he has already gotten. He has lost 1 game as a starter in 3 years at Michigan. He has shown plenty of film where he can dissect defenses and has also proven he is a leader. JJ is also going out as a National Champion and captain of Team 144. What else is there for him to prove. He will shine at the next level and I wish him nothing but the best. It is time to reload rather than rebuild. This team has a lot of talent and I look forward to who will be leading Team 145 next year. Go Blue!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
oh so his is the fan take, and yours isn't?
forget Michigan and think of him: coming back he'd be Heisman frontrunner and likely QB1--the way Caleb Williams was.
now look at the draft and find the amount of money difference between being the first and the fifth qb taken...
January 14th, 2024 at 2:06 PM ^
forget Michigan and think of him: coming back he'd be Heisman frontrunner and likely QB1--the way Caleb Williams was.
Williams would have gone last year and been the first pick in the draft if eligible
To me this is like CBB. Once a guy is a first round pick there isn't much value to improving his draft stock. There are still a lot of reasons a guy might return but in J.J.'s case he had no goals left to meet - and the very real chance that even avoiding injury his draft position wouldn't improve enough to justify returning just for financial reasons
January 14th, 2024 at 2:22 PM ^
I will admit mine was a fan take solely on the statement that I made that I think this is the best decision he could make. But to say it is a mistake is 100% a fan take and not taking into account anything JJ has earned already. There are no guarantees next year. Take the opportunity and make the most of it while on top. Good luck JJ!
January 14th, 2024 at 5:03 PM ^
…or he could look worse next season and put bad film out there. The guy won a natty went 15-0 this year and has one of the best QB win percentages in CFB history. Honestly he doesn’t have anything left to prove at this level. It’s time for us to watch him be great in the NFL
January 14th, 2024 at 1:44 PM ^
The NFL goal should be to have the longest and most successful career possible. There’s not a lot of patience for learning on the job, especially at QB. In Michigan’s offense, McCarthy has thrown far fewer college passes than any of the other top QBs in the draft. He’s thrown less than half the number of passes Penix and Nix have. You can name a lot of QBs taken in the 1st round who never made it. My concern is that skills wise, he isn’t as ready for the move as he could be. Better to be fully prepared before you take the test.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:55 PM ^
I agree with you but if JJ had stayed one more year he would still have half the pass attempts of other college QB leaders. It's just the way Michigan is. I would have preferred he stayed for my own selfishness but it's time for JJ to spread his wings.
I echo what another poster saying that if he falls a bit further down in the draft compared to the leading QBs drafted, he may land with a more stable team with better personnel.
Thank you for your heart, soul and mind JJ.
God speed! Go Blue!
January 14th, 2024 at 2:31 PM ^
Though is has worked for three years...this is one of the reasons that I think Michigan should become more balanced on offense going forward. We are at the point where Michigan is not even in the running for the very top QB and WR recruits. Michigan can still have a similar offensive identity as now, but simply adjust to intentionally be more balanced. Some will say 'but they won it all.' Of course. But the way to be a contender every year is to self-evaluate and look for ways to be even better even after your best years. Sherrone Moore/Harbaugh combo seems elite in terms of run play design, etc. But...that offense would have been even better with a bit more balance.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^
Yeah if he stayed he wasn’t going to win the heisman because no Michigan qb is putting up the numbers to do that. And for a long career he’s better off being drafted late first round to a good team as opposed to early first round to a perennial loser
January 14th, 2024 at 2:22 PM ^
He’s a National Champion QB with the best modern record. All of the hot takes on here diminishing his skill level are really just people sad that he’s leaving and trying to pick apart the guy who just led the team.
I’ll trust Harbaugh’s eye for talent over any goofy folks here. Plenty of us are “amateur wannabe NFL scouts,” so some of you need to stop feeling yourselves.
You’re same people he told to take 3 deep breaths in November 2020.
This is not the time to disparage a god damn MICHIGAN LEGEND. That time is never.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:45 PM ^
I don’t think anyone has disparaged his skills. The question is experience and whether he’d benefit from one more college season.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^
You can feel however you want about his decision. However if you don’t think another year would improve his draft stock your subconsciously saying he won’t be very successful in the NFL. Players improve from year to year. Older experienced qb’s tend to improve by leaps and bounds. That moment comes when everything slows down back there and you can see what defenses are trying to do to you before they even do it. There’s a reason all these elder qb’s are having so much success across college football. If you think he would come back and just be the same player it’s pretty hard for you to flip that argument into him developing into a great NFL qb.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^
There’s a reason players like CJ Stroud and Mahomes and Love have faith. They don’t listen to blog posts when deciding on their job readiness. Unless you’re Jim Harbaugh, j you’re just blabbering.
All you’re doing is bringing back the insufferable fan vibes that JJ helped STFU for the most of his time here.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^
They’re called opinions and this is, in theory, a place for discussion. No one has disparaged McCarthy or the great things he’s done at Michigan. The idea that the only response anyone should have to this news is an unequivocal “yay JJ” is idiotic.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:58 PM ^
I agree that opinions can be shared but the most idiotic thing that I have read so far on this thread is that JJ’s decision is a mistake. That is insinuating you know more than JJ and whoever is mentoring JJ. It would also insinuate that whatever positive feedback JJ is getting to think this is best, you know all of that as well. I wish JJ would come back but there are no guarantees next year and JJ seems to figure out and win everywhere he goes. I don’t think the NFL will be any different.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:55 PM ^
So in short no one should have an opinion or have any type of discussion. All the “mgo parents Facebook group” posters are coming back out of the woodwork
January 14th, 2024 at 1:42 PM ^
He gets himself one more year of the $30-40 million post-rookie contracts this way over the course of his nfl career. Definitely a positive money move.
Bon.Voyage!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:44 PM ^
If he succeeds.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:24 PM ^
I can’t envision a world where JJ isn’t at least a back-up QB for the next 10 years.
that would mean $70-80M for him.
He has also secured himself a spot as a Michigan football legend which he will surely make a lot of money.
Nothing for him to gain by coming back.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:53 PM ^
Do you think McCarthy, or any true competitor, measures success only in dollars? He no doubt wants to be a star at the next level, not a career backup. The question is what is his best route to achieve that goal.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:09 PM ^
How would staying help his draft prospects given that, like you point out, Michigan just doesn’t throw it a high volume? The offense won’t suddenly transform next year. If we’re being honest, if he really wanted to improve his draft stock he’d transfer to USC or something for a year.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:20 PM ^
If he really wanted to improve he’d have transferred to OSU. Just about everyone get better with more experience. Even in Michigan’s offense, 2023 McCarthy was better than 2022 McCarthy. The 2024 version would likely have been better still and the QB pool for next year’s draft will likely be thinner
January 14th, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Makes sense - it would be a bit anticlimactic to come back
January 14th, 2024 at 1:38 PM ^
yeah i forget the exact stat but hes leaving with one of the top winning percentages in college football history.
he was a major factor in 3 straight big ten rings plus that elusive national title! michigans best modern QB, and its not particularly close.
id turn pro too. another year of practice/game reps may help his pocket presence, post snap reads, etc and add some more polish however QB such a unique position that a 1st round grade dictates entering the draft. if a teams willing to make 1st round investment, youre likely getting more time/resources to develop at the next level. much easier for teams to move on from non 1st round picks. different story if scouts dont grade him as 1st rounder.
seems like the appropriate decision. hes been a beast for michigan - now its time to chase brady as the next elite michigan pro
January 14th, 2024 at 2:57 PM ^
The Patriots are moving on from Mac Jones after three years. The 49ers took Trey Lance third overall and dumped him two years later. The Jets are no doubt done with Zach Wilson. Josh Rosen, after playing just three college seasons, was taken 10th overall in 2018 and is out of football. There are no guarantees.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
Wishing JJ the best wherever his future takes him.
Go Blue!
P.S. - I first saw JJ when he was in high school. And, have cheered him on since then…
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
Had briefly hoped we might see him back!
I think his measurables at the combine, and his personality are going to see him rise a bit pre-draft.
Some of the talking heads will finally watch games from pre-Penn State, when we weren't grinding out wins (back when JJ had the green light and looked God-tier), and they'll realize what he could be.
Heck, even thing like the minuscule drop in his completion percentage on roll-outs and pressures is going to look amazing to scouts.
Good luck JJ! You'll always be our QB no matter where you land.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
JJ the Legend. Amazing for what he and this team did. Absolutely all love should be in support for this kid if he wants to pursue his dream. Leaving a university at 27-1 is something no one can take from him. Hope he proves people wrong about the nfl
January 14th, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Every season, his team beat OSU and won a B1G championship.
Then 15-0, a national championship, and a fighting chance of going in the first round.
Go pursue your dreams.
January 14th, 2024 at 2:34 PM ^
Michigan is for sure going to have a lot of new faces and now one of them will be at the spotlight position on the team. Can you imagine what will happen in Columbus if we win there again next year? Holy cow the city would blow up. I am so thankful the year JJ leaves is the year we won a National Championship.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
Good luck JJ, thank you the Natty, 3 B1G championships and beating Osu 3 years in a row.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
Thank you for the memories JJ
January 14th, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
Best of luck JJ!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
Good luck in all you do, young man. Thank you for your amazing time at the University of Michigan! Always and forever, Go Blue!
January 14th, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
Good Luck and thanks for the last three years. I hope you kill it at the next level.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
All I can say is thank you.
Go forth and do more great things.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
Undefeated against OSU, big ten championships and a national title
Thank you JJ
January 14th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
Good luck young man. A great leader and we all wish you all the best in the League.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
I take my hat off. The Man .
January 14th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
Well, as we've all (and Klatt) said, probably could've used another year to hone his skills but don't blame him for leaving one bit. Best of luck to him and thanks for the memories. He shall be etched into the Michigan hall of fame for all time.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^
If we’re being honest, JJ is gonna get a lot more development on an NFL team than he will be playing for Michigans offense again. I cant wait to see what hes able to do in the league
January 14th, 2024 at 1:30 PM ^
Won't argue that. If we go 70/30 run/pass again I get what you're saying. Still reps but M hasn't excatly been a hot bed for developing QB's lately with a run first philosophy.
January 14th, 2024 at 3:02 PM ^
This is worth a diary, but I would argue that he would be better off staying if Harbaugh stays. If he doesn't know that, then he is probably better off not taking a chance on a different incoming coach. I would appreciate if someone were to pull that data and analyze it.
January 14th, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
Love that young man. Even in leaving us, he did it right.