Michigan's J.J. McCarthy picked by Minnesota Vikings at No. 10 overall in NFL draft 2024
J.J. McCarthy, the best college football player at the most important position in the history of Michigan football has been drafted.
McCarthy was taken No. 10 overall by the Minnesota Vikings, who traded with the New York Jets to move up one spot in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night in downtown Detroit.
He went 27-1 as a starter for the Wolverines, won three Big Ten championships, made three College Football Playoff appearances, and capped his career with a Rose Bowl win over Alabama where he was named the game's MVP, and then a national championship victory over Washington.
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McCarthy, the first quarterback picked by the NFL from U-M since Jake Ruddock (2016), is now the highest-drafted signal caller in program history. The only other former Michigan QB first-round selection: McCarthy's former coach, Jim Harbaugh, who was taken No. 26 overall in 1987 by the Chicago Bears.
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McCarthy represents the highest an offensive player has been drafted from Michigan since Jake Long (Miami Dolphins) went No. 1 overall in 2008. He's the highest Wolverine picked since Aidan Hutchinson was taken No. 2 by the Detroit Lions two years ago and just the third non-lineman from Michigan on offense to go in the top 10 this century, joining Braylon Edwards (No. 3, Cleveland, 2005) and David Terrell (No. 8, Chicago, 2001).
A native of La Grange Park, Illinois, who first began his high school ball at Nazareth Academy, McCarthy transferred to IMG Academy as a senior in high school where he later won a national championship. In the 2020 season, after U-M had finished its own 2-4 campaign, McCarthy sent out a social media post about the need for the fan base to take some deep breaths, that the coaching staff was working diligently and the tides would soon be turning.
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He stepped on campus the next year, took over the starting role a season later and since he arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan went 40-3 and won three outright league titles for the first time in program history.
As a freshman, McCarthy was an understudy to Cade McNamara, but was inserted in the lineup for a few plays. He played in 11 games, completed 34 of 59 passes (57.6%) for 516 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions and ran another 27 times for 124 yards and a pair of scores.
For all the dazzling moments he showed, his year was more notably marked by a low moment. McCarthy fumbled on his lone fourth quarter snap in a top-10, undefeated rivalry game in East Lansing, which soon led to MSU's game-winning touchdown and ultimately a crushing 37-33 loss. That's the last time Michigan has lost a Big Ten game.
The next year as a sophomore, McCarthy pushed a returning starter and team captain in McNamara in a quarterback competition. Harbaugh allowed each player to start at QB in the first two games of the 2022 season, and after a dazzling Week 2 performance against Hawaii where he completed 11 of 12 passes for 229 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers, there wasn't much left that needed to be said.
The 6-foot-3, now 202-pound QB won the job and later led U-M to its first road win at Ohio State in two decades and a second straight Big Ten championship. It was the first 13-win season in program history, but it ended in the CFP semifinals where McCarthy earned the lone scarlet letter of his collegiate career.
McCarthy threw not one, but two interceptions, both which were returned for touchdowns as TCU led 21-6 at the half. Though he would throw for a career-high 343 yards and three total touchdowns, U-M was upset, 51-45.
The lasting image of the season was McCarthy, staring into the falling confetti, then leaving the postgame presser from the podium after answering just one question. He finished his first year as a starter completing 208 of 322 passes (64.6%) for 2,791 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, to go with 306 rushing yards and five more scores.
That also proved to be the last collegiate loss he took.
McCarthy led Michigan to a perfect 15-0 season as a junior, when he finished third in the nation in QBR (88.2) and put together the best overall statistical season for a quarterback in U-M football history. He completed 240 of 332 passes (74.2%) for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions and finished top 10 in the Heisman, as a finalist for both the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Manning Quarterback Award, and as the winner of the Griese-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year.
McCarthy departs Ann Arbor as the program's career leader in completion percentage (67.6), pass efficiency (160.5), and touchdown-to-interception ratio (with at least 20 TD passes; 4.5-to-1). He also set single-season program records for interception rate (1.20) and completion percentage (72.3) in 2023 and finished second in pass efficiency (167.4) and touchdown passes (22).
Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.
Order now: Celebrate Michigan's national title with our two commemorative books: "Blue Reign" and "Maize & Grand." You can also buy commemorative wall art of the front page of the Detroit Free Press from the morning after U-M's historic championship.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Vikings trade up for Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in NFL draft 2024
