5-Star Advice: J.J. McCarthy
From the book "5-star QB", Q&A with the former Michigan national champion now a rookie with the Minnesota Vikings
There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.
In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.
Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.
This week’s contributor of 5-Star Advice is from the 2024 National Champion Michigan Wolverines, J.J. McCarthy. With Michigan visiting Washington on Saturday in a rematch (and with Michael Penix Jr. in attendance) it only seemed fitting to dive back into this McCarthy interview. After being drafted #10 overall in this year’s NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, McCarthy threw 2 TD in the preseason opener against the Raiders but reported soreness in practice and found to have fully torn the meniscus in his right knee. The Vikings placed him on injured reserve after his surgery and the 2023 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year will miss the entire 2024 season.
From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….
When did you get your first scholarship offer?
It was when I was in the 8th grade, going into my freshman year of high school. I was at a satellite camp in Chicago, when Iowa State took notice of me. They asked me to come perform at their camp a couple weeks later. When I first got there, they gave me a tour of the facilities and all that wine and dine recruiting stuff, and while we were on the tour the QB coach at the time told my dad that it is very unlikely they were going to offer me, just based off my size and age. I took that and turned it into motivation for the camp. One good throw led to another, and they eventually offered me right after the camp.
What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?
Didn’t play a single varsity snap my freshman year, but my sophomore year I started every game and we went 13-1 that year with a state title. Stat wise, I had somewhere around 40 TD, 4 INT, 3,500 yards, and 77% completion percentage.