Michigan Wolverines footballquarterback J.J. McCarthy has been selected by the Minnesota Vikings No. 10 overall by the in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings traded up one spot from No. 11 to No. 10, a pick that was originally possessed by the New York Jets. McCarthy is the first U-M player to be chosen this year and 10th first-round pick under head coach Jim Harbaugh, who’s now with the Los Angeles Chargers.
McCarthy is the first Michigan quarterback to be taken in the first round since Harbaugh was chosen by the Chicago Bears No. 26 overall in 1987. McCarthy is the third U-M signal-caller to land in the first round, joining Harbaugh and Forest Evashevski, the No. 10 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in 1941. Former Michigan quarterback George Ceithaml went off the board to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943 with the No. 19 overall pick, but that was in the third round.
He’s the first Michigan signal-caller to be drafted since Jake Rudock was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round in 2016.
The 6-foot-3, 219-pounder is the fifth quarterback to be drafted this year, behind USC’s Caleb Williams (No. 1 to the Chicago Bears), LSU’s Jayden Daniels (No. 2 to the Washington Commanders), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (No. 3 to the New England Patriots) and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons).
McCarthy impressed at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this past winter. He ran a 6.82-second 3-cone drill (first among four quarterbacks) and 4.23-second 20-yard shuttle (tied first among four quarterbacks. He also went through a throwing session that prompted the following comment from NFL Network reporter Peter Schrager: “I got a text from an NFL evaluator, a very respected one, saying, ‘Of all these guys, McCarthy translates to the NFL the most.’ He had an outstanding day out here.”
The 21-year-old La Grange Park (Ill.) native was 27-1 as a starter, with that .964 win percentage standing as the best among college football quarterbacks since 1971. McCarthy is 65-3 since becoming a starting varsity high school player.
McCarthy is No. 1 in Michigan program history in the following categories: career completion percentage (67.6), career pass efficiency (160.5 rating), career touchdown-to-interception radio (4.5:1).
McCarthy ranks fourth in U-M history with 482 career completions, behind only Chad Henne (828), John Navarre (765) and Elvis Grbac (522). His 6,226 career passing yards check in sixth in the record book, trailing Henne (9,715), Navarre (9,254), Grbac (6,460), Devin Gardner (6,250) and Denard Robinson (6,250).
McCarthy was named first-team All-Big Ten and became Michigan’s first-ever winner of the Griese-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year award this season. He completed 240 of his 332 passes (72.2 percent) for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. He added 64 rushes for 202 yards and 3 scores.
McCarthy led the Maize and Blue to the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff victories over Alabama (27-20 in overtime in the Rose Bowl) and Washington (34-13 in the title game in Houston). They also beat Ohio State, 30-24, their third-straight triumph over the hated rival that McCarthy revered as a youth.
Following the Rose Bowl, head coach Jim Harbaugh said McCarthy is the best college quarterback in program history.
He wasn’t eligible to be a team captain — only seniors and graduate students were — but McCarthy has been credited as being one of the Michigan team’s top leaders. Joining the program after the Wolverines hadn’t beaten Ohio State since 2011, won the Big Ten since 2004 and posted a 2-4 record in 2020, McCarthy and his class are 40-3 as Wolverines.
McCarthy won the starting quarterback battle over former Michigan signal-caller Cade McNamaraearly in the 2022 season. He opened the final 13 outings and led the Wolverines to the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff, where they fell to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, 51-45. McCarthy threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns but also led Michigan back with 393 total yards and 3 touchdowns before falling short.
For the 2022 season, McCarthy connected on 208 of his 322 passes (64.6 percent) for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.
Backing up McNamara in 2021, McCarthy was used as a running quarterback and second-stringer. He appeared in 11 games, completing 34 of 59 pass attempts for 516 yards with 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions. Michigan won the Big Ten title, the first of three consecutive championships, finishing 12-2 with a CFP loss to Georgia.
A four-star recruit, McCarthy was the No. 47 overall player in the 2021 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He led IMG Academy to an 8-0 record as a senior, throwing 16 touchdowns and no picks. He spent his first three years of high school at Nazareth Academy in his hometown of La Grange Park, Ill. All told in his prep career, McCarthy threw for 7,905 yards and 94 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.
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