This Monday night’s national championship could be the final time J.J. McCarthy suits up for the Michigan Wolverines.
During an appearance on “College Football Live,” ESPN insider Pete Thamel said NFL evaluators expect McCarthy to declare for the draft in the near future.
“The biggest on-field storyline for Michigan coming out of this game is going to be the future of JJ McCarthy,” Thamel said . “He’s obviously 26-1 as a starter, and win or lose tonight, there’s a feeling that he may not be able to do much more at Michigan. NFL evaluators are operating under the expectation that McCarthy will come out. He’ll make the decision in the upcoming days.”
McCarthy has been very efficient this season, completing 73.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,851 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also racked up 171 yards and three scores on the ground.
Our news update on Dillon Johnson’s status tonight, J.J. McCarthy’s future at Michigan and FCS gunslinger QB Reese Poffenbarger’s commit to play for Miami. pic.twitter.com/vQRjDa4IQT
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 8, 2024
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If McCarthy can light up Washington’s defense in the national title game, that would most likely help his draft stock.
Even if McCarthy fails to have an elite performance on Monday night, he’s expected to be an intriguing prospect for NFL teams. Some analysts have him going in the first round, while others project him to be an early Day 2 pick.