Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy declares for NFL Draft: 'Thank you for believing ... in me'

Ann Arbor — Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who led the Wolverines to a national championship last Monday, two wins against Ohio State and two Big Ten championships while compiling a 27-1 record as starter, has declared for the NFL Draft.

McCarthy announced his decision Sunday afternoon on social media, one day before the deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft. The NFL Draft is April 25-27 in Detroit.

"This decision was not easy and how could it be — I love my teammates, I love my coaches and I love it here in Ann Arbor," McCarthy wrote, saying he had spoken to many, including his family and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, about his decision. "It is almost impossible to put into words what this University and my time here has meant to me, but I am going to take 3 deep breaths right now and try ..."

More:Jim Harbaugh reportedly set to meet with Chargers next week about head coach vacancy

During a celebration of the team and the national championship Saturday night before a full house at Crisler Center, with fans chanting, “One more year”, McCarthy seemed to hint at his future.

“I know lots of us got some big-time life decision to make. … Michigan will forever be in my heart,” McCarthy told the crowd. “I love you all. Go Blue.”

In his farewell message to Michigan on Sunday, McCarthy mentioned his faith and said when he entered Schembechler Hall, the football building, for the first time, he believed "this was where I was destined to be." He mentioned his family and called his parents, Megan and Jim, "loving" and "supportive" and thanked his sisters Caitlin and Morgan. He called his girlfriend, Katya, his "soulmate" and "best friend" and then gave the 2023 team a shout-out, saying it had been an "honor" to be its quarterback. Finally, he thanked the fans.

"Thank you for believing in us, for believing in me," McCarthy wrote.

McCarthy has been the most gifted quarterback to play at Michigan under Harbaugh, the former Michigan and NFL quarterback. Last summer at Big Ten media days, Harbaugh referred to McCarthy as a “once-in-a-generational” quarterback and compared him to NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in terms of talent and the willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team.

Harbaugh made those comments last July after McCarthy had completed his first season as starter in which he threw for 2,719 yards while completing 64.6% of his attempts and had 22 touchdowns against five interceptions. He helped lead the Wolverines to a 45-23 win at Ohio State, for the program’s first win in Ohio Stadium since 2000.

During the 2023 season, McCarthy completed 72.3% of his passes, which ranked sixth nationally. He threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with four interceptions. He ranked ninth nationally in pass efficiency. He was named the Big Ten’s Quarterback of the Year and the most valuable offensive player of the Rose Bowl national semifinal.

Last month after a practice in Ann Arbor, McCarthy said that during the team’s week off following Michigan's third straight Big Ten championship, Harbaugh asked if he wanted to discuss his future. McCarthy declined, saying he wanted to focus only on Alabama.

During a news conference at Disneyland on Dec. 27, Harbaugh related how much he enjoyed McCarthy’s choice not to divert his attention from the national semifinal, but he also used the opportunity to say he believes McCarthy is prepared for the next level.

“I can’t lie and say I don’t think he’s NFL-ready,” Harbaugh said. “I very much think he’s NFL-ready.”

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper’s latest draft-board rankings have McCarthy fifth among the quarterbacks, one spot behind Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. USC’s Caleb Williams is the top-ranked quarterback prospect. Jordan Reid, an ESPN NFL draft expert, projects McCarthy to Denver as the No. 12 overall pick in a mock draft released last week.

Harbaugh has always been a firm believer in McCarthy, a five-star prospect out of high school, and has always heaped praise on him.

Last October, Harbaugh took his once-in-a-generation description up a notch.

“J.J. has shown to be on a path to be the best quarterback in Michigan history,” Harbaugh said at the time. “I think going forward, J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks are compared to.”

It was McCarthy, who was committed to Michigan but not yet on the team, who attempted to calm the Michigan fans in 2020 when the program went 2-4 during the COVID-19-shortened season. In a series of posts on Twitter on Nov. 15, 2020, McCarthy wrote about there always being “light at the end of the tunnel” and that “support is the only thing that they need right now” encouraging the fans to keep the faith.

“I want all Michigan fans to do this. Take 3 deep breaths…And have faith,” McCarthy wrote. “Faith that every single Coach, player, employee in that building is doing everything they possibly can to be great.”

He arrived at Michigan in 2021 and was backup to Cade McNamara, who helped lead Michigan to a win over Ohio State, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the series, then the program's first Big Ten championship since 2004 and a College Football Playoff berth, In 2022, Harbaugh gave McNamara the start in Game 1 and McCarthy the start in Game 2, and it was his job from then on.

McCarthy voraciously reads and quotes inspirational books, and he has often spoken of how daily meditation helps him navigate life. He begins each day meditating and before every game, sits against a goal post in deep meditation.

In his final season, motivated by a loss to TCU in a national semifinal in which he threw two pick-sixes, McCarthy was clearly on a mission to change the narrative. His teammates spoke of his leadership equaling his ability.

A few days after the Rose Bowl, in which he directed a game-tying 75-yard, eight-play drive with 1:34 left — Michigan won in overtime, 27-20 — he was asked about a private moment he had on the field after the game as he took it all in. He stood on the field after Michigan’s previous two semifinals, both losses, and drew motivation from those outcomes. After the Rose Bowl victory, he shared how much work he had put into this season.

“Those moments, I cherish every single one of them, win or loss, just because you work so hard every single day throughout the off-season, during the season to get to points like that,” McCarthy said of his private moments on the field. “Just taking it in, win or loss, is just always something that I really just appreciate.

“This past one, it was just — all the extra work and all the different things that I did this past offseason and this season just like reflecting back on those (things) and how hard I pushed myself and training seven to eight times a week and going to the separate trainer where we would do these conditioning days and I'm throwing up 75% of the time down there. Just all the extra things that I did, just kind of taking that all in on the field and just realizing, ‘Hey, it was worth every single second of pain that I went through, and I would do it all over again if I had the choice.’”

And that was before he helped lead Michigan to a national championship, the program’s first since 1997 when the Wolverines went unbeaten and earned the Associated Press national title.

McCarthy started the “J.J. For The Kids Foundation” in January 2022, and has made generous donations to children’s hospitals in Chicago, near where he grew up, and Mott Hospital in Ann Arbor, as well as at children’s hospitals located in the cities of Michigan’s opponents. He has said he plans to be involved in supporting children’s hospitals for the rest of his career and life.

The next step is the NFL and his teammates have shared how much McCarthy has grown in three seasons at Michigan.

“I love that guy,” tight end Colston Loveland said before the Rose Bowl. “He's always a great leader and kind of gets everyone where they need to be. … The one thing that I've noticed is (he’s) more confident, and more of a leader, vocal leader. He's grown, and his game has just gotten better. He understands the game more. Coverages. The sky's the limit for him.”

achnegelis@detroitnews.com

@chengelis