Fans Debate QB J.J. McCarthy's Draft Stock after Leaving Michigan for 2024 NFL Draft | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sarah Rodriguez
Published Mar 23, 2026
J.J. McCarthy's collegiate career is officially over.
The Michigan quarterback announced on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he had decided to enter the 2024 NFL draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.
J.J. McCarthy @jjmccarthy09Forever a Michigan Man ππ <a href="">
McCarthy had just finished his second season as the Wolverines starter and helped the program capture its first national championship since 1997. He noted how difficult the decision was for him and stressed that he would be "forever a Michigan man."
"I have talked to many in and out of football, including my family, Coach Harbaugh, and many who's opinions I greatly admire and respect," McCarthy wrote. "This decision was not easy and how could it beβI love my teammates, I love my coaches and I love it here in Ann Arbor."
McCarthy ended his career at Michigan on a high note with the national championship victory and was even referred to as "the greatest quarterback in Michigan history" by Harbaugh.
He finishes his career with a 27-1 record and also has prototypical NFL quarterback height at 6'3". Still, his statistics weren't overly impressive as he failed to eclipse 3,000 passing yards in either year as the Wolverines starter.
Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen projected McCarthy to be a fourth-round pick and listed him as the seventh quarterback and the 99th overall player in the 2024 draft.
Fans took to social media to debate his potential NFL future, with some viewing him as a potential Day 1 or 2 pick and others doubting if he would even be picked. The team he could end up with was also debated, with franchises like the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings being thrown out as potential fits.
The guy who throws Stone Cold's beer cans @RandyJort0nNot a first rounder I think that portion of the class is pretty heavy, I can see him being 3-4th round
Faisal Yousaf @faisal7yBest priority UDFA in this year's class ...
Louie @LouieBandanaaSecond rounder
ANALYST NICK @nickdeportesUndrafted
πππ― @TezFrm901he's a viking for sure
Legoat wrld π @lakerstrollwrldHe's a patriot
Raymond Stern @RaymondStern4Late 1st to late 2nd perfect choice for the <a href="">@Seahawks</a> as Mccarthy can back up geno smith and start in '25
Fantasy in the A.M. @FantasyintheAMFuture BUST
casey @sportsby_meZach Wilson 2.0
jay π©π΄ @jaydaagoatJJ McCarthy seems like the perfect patriots QB lol
Christopher Brown @Cristop09101727JJ McCarthy may not be ready but if he's developed right I could see him being a very solid starter in the league.
MOE @ItsMisterMoeJJ McCarthy leaving is a mistake.
ππ€π₯ ππ‘ππππ© π ππ©π¨ βοΈπ½π @TopFlightJetsJJ McCarthy and Rodgers are going to get along so well ππ€£
Garrett Joseph Franks @garrett_franksI'm sorry, but I just don't see JJ McCarthy having a long pro career.
Who Dey @AndreBengalsJJ McCarthy should be drafted between #25 and #45. No earlier and no later. He's nowhere near ready to be a Day 1 starter but he's a good project to sit for a year or 2.
ZackπΆπ₯Άππ @SCDawg864JJ McCarthy is gonna br a 10 year backup isn't he
Brian @bdekt73If Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan for the NFL, the most talked about destination seems to be him going to the Chargers; however, I wonder if he would consider going to a team that he thinks is in need of starting qb where he has a legitimate opportunity to draft JJ McCarthy.
The possibility of Michigan losing both McCarthy and Harbaugh following the national championship win could be a tough pill for Wolverines fans to swallow. This comes as the Big Ten is set to add Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA to the conference and just ahead of the CFP expansion from four teams to 12 teams.
McCarthy could up his stock with a strong combine performance but will likely not hear his named called until at least the late first round.
The NFL draft is scheduled for April 25-27 in Detroit.