Jim Harbaugh has showed off his confidence in quarterback JJ McCarthy, hinting that he will be an early pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, but he used to train McCarthy, 20, while he was at Michigan. From all the players who will be in the draft - including USC quarterback Caleb Williams - Harbaugh thinks that his McCarthy will be a superstar.
In his chat with reporters on Monday, Harbaugh explained: "I’ve said it before and it’s well documented: I think he’s the best quarterback in the draft. That’s just what I think. It’s my opinion. He’s the one who plays quarterback of all the quarterbacks in the draft. There are great quarterbacks in the draft, but I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft."
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Both Harbaugh and McCarthy ended their time in Michigan by winning the 2024 National Football title. With the pair leading the team both on and off the field, the Wolverines claimed the championship without losing a game and outscored teams 538 to 156.
New England Patriots warned Mac Jones is "limited" as quarterback fined againThe win marked the team's national championship and a first in 24 years. McCarthy's performances were a big part of Michigan's success. He completed 72.3 per cent of his passes for 2,991 yards and added 22 touchdowns and four interceptions.
He achieved this with a 167.4 passer rating. He only lost one game at Michigan with Harbaugh as the coach, who was able to bring out the best in him consistently.
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No matter who his coach will be when he moves to the NFL, Harbaugh thinks he'll do great things. "He’ll be hit, and this killer comes out. Whether it’s good or it’s bad, he’s got an extra gear, especially when he’s challenged," Harbaugh said.
"And you also see the big personality, and do anything for another guy on the team, for a small kid that walks up to him. My son Jack feels like JJ is one of his really good friends. He’s incredible. Big market, small market. Cold weather, hot weather. It wouldn’t matter."
Since they went their separate ways after the national championship success, Harbaugh has praised his former player every chance he gets to talk to the media. For example, he talked about how impressed scouts and general managers were with his throwing ability and they felt equally encouraged after meeting him.
"That was the best throwing day I've ever seen," Harbaugh said. "Like I predicted, once they were around him, I was hearing the stories about how he is on the board, how he is on the field, the little things, the intangibles. I mean, it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever. But yeah, there was raving, and it was great to hear and incredible to hear."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.