J.J. McCarthy in the NFL
In the NFL. Photo: Maize & Blue Nation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quarterback, Michigan, 2021–⁠23

J.J. McCarthy

Number
No. 9
Height
6′3″
Weight
202 lb
Class (2023)
Junior
Hometown
La Grange Park, IL
Born
Jan 20, 2003, in Evanston, Illinois

Wikipedia readers: about 54,179 a month over the past year

J.J. McCarthy played quarterback at Michigan (2021–⁠23). He was the quarterback of the 2023 national champions (15–⁠0). He finished 10th in the 2023 Heisman vote. The Minnesota Vikings took McCarthy in the first round, No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
2,991
Passing yards, 2023 (Michigan, 15–⁠0)
Heisman vote
10th
In the 2023 vote
Drafted
No. 10
Overall, 2024 NFL Draft (Minnesota Vikings)

Career highs

343passing yards, career highvs. TCU, 20224touchdown passes, career highat Michigan State, 20232rushing touchdowns, career highat Minnesota, 2023

Honors

Team titles: Big Ten champions, 2021, 2022 and 2023; National champions, 2023

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2021Michigan345957.65168.752
2022Michigan20832264.62,7198.4225
2023Michigan24033272.32,9919.0224
Career48271367.66,2268.74911

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2021Michigan271244.6223
2022Michigan703064.4539
2023Michigan642023.2322
Career1616323.91039

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2021Michigan9QBFr.
2022Michigan9QBSo.
2023Michigan9QBJr.6′3″202

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. passAdj. rush
2021Michigan820.35––28.911%0.51–
2022Michigan3890.4282nd (n=250)0.32163.440%0.570.29
2023Michigan3910.5290th (n=255)0.32204.643%0.640.39

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2023 Michigan 15 games, 2,991 passing yards, 22 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 2vs.East CarolinaW 30–⁠3263028030−2
Sep 9vs.UNLVW 35–⁠722252782038
Sep 16vs.Bowling GreenW 31–⁠681314323−1
Sep 23vs.RutgersW 31–⁠715212141051
Sep 30atNebraskaW 45–⁠712161562030
Oct 7atMinnesotaW 52–⁠1014202191017
Oct 14vs.IndianaW 52–⁠714172223027
Oct 21atMichigan StateW 49–⁠02127287408
Nov 4vs.PurdueW 41–⁠13243733500−31
Nov 11atPenn StateW 24–⁠1578600034
Nov 18atMarylandW 31–⁠24122314101−7
Nov 25vs.Ohio StateW 30–⁠2416201481017
Dec 2vs.IowaW 26–⁠0223014700−35
Jan 1 ✦vs.AlabamaW 27–⁠2017272213025
Jan 8 ✦vs.WashingtonW 34–⁠1310181400031
2022 Michigan 14 games, 2,719 passing yards, 22 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 3vs.Colorado StateW 51–⁠744300050
Sep 10vs.Hawai’iW 56–⁠1011122293016
Sep 17vs.UConnW 59–⁠01518214007
Sep 24vs.MarylandW 34–⁠271826220205
Oct 1atIowaW 27–⁠14182415510−14
Oct 8atIndianaW 31–⁠1028363043126
Oct 15vs.Penn StateW 41–⁠1717241450157
Oct 29vs.Michigan StateW 29–⁠715251671050
Nov 5atRutgersW 52–⁠171327151206
Nov 12vs.NebraskaW 34–⁠381712920−8
Nov 19vs.IllinoisW 19–⁠1718342080018
Nov 26atOhio StateW 45–⁠2312242633027
Dec 3vs.PurdueW 43–⁠2211171613114
Dec 31 ✦vs.TCUL 45–⁠5120343432252
2021 Michigan 11 games, 516 passing yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 4vs.Western MichiganW 47–⁠14468010−16
Sep 18vs.Northern IllinoisW 63–⁠1046420016
Oct 2atWisconsinW 38–⁠171156107
Oct 9atNebraskaW 32–⁠290100010
Oct 23vs.NorthwesternW 33–⁠735340036
Oct 30atMichigan StateL 33–⁠373423107
Nov 6vs.IndianaW 29–⁠75105501−14
Nov 20atMarylandW 59–⁠1855581019
Nov 27vs.Ohio StateW 42–⁠2711310012
Dec 4vs.IowaW 42–⁠31360123
Dec 31 ✦vs.GeorgiaL 11–⁠347171311024

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2024
Height6′2½″
Weight219 lb
Arm length31⅝″
Hand size9″
Wingspan75⅞″W
3-cone drill6.82 s
20-yard shuttle4.23 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

2 seasons, 11 games with a stat; latest team: Minnesota Vikings.

SeasonTeamGCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
2025Minnesota Vikings101402431,6321112181
2026 (so far)New York Giants1000002
NFL career111402431,6321112183

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.