Indianapolis — Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is aware that the other top quarterbacks in this year’s NFL draft have thrown more passes, completed more passes, and possibly scored far more touchdowns.
However, McCarthy stated that he will select the one statistic that he believes tips the scales in his favor.
“You know, stats aren’t really the big deal for me, and all I really cared about was being the best teammate and quarterback I could possibly be,” McCarthy said at the NFL scouting combine on Friday. “And the only stat I cared about was W’s, and we did pretty good in that category.”
McCarthy attempted 654 passes in his two years as a starter in the Wolverines’ run-heavy scheme, totaling 713 in his college career. By comparison, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. had at least 550 attempts in each of the previous two seasons, USC’s Caleb Williams had one season of 500 attempts, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye had 500 attempts in addition to 425 last season.
McCarthy, who is ranked No. 23 on Mel Kiper Jr.’s newest Big Board, has led the Wolverines to 27 triumphs in 28 career starts, including a win against Washington in the national title game in January. It was the highest winning percentage for a starter in five decades.
Due to what he described as “hamstring tightness,”McCarthy stated on Friday: “Tough, gritty guy who only cares about winning at the end of the day.” Loves the game of football with a passion, adores his teammates, and is pretty much everything you want in a starting quarterback.
