Can Michigan QB Commit JJ McCarthy Earn Five-Star Status At Elite 11?
Rivals100 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy quarterback and Michigan commit JJ McCarthy will take part in the Elite 11 Finals in Nashville this weekend.
One of the biggest events of the offseason, McCarthy will compete against some of the best signal-callers in the country under the watch of former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer.
McCarthy is a legit contender to be named this year's Elite 11 winner, which would help his case for earning a fifth star.
Right now, McCarthy is ranked as the No. 5 pro-style quarterback and No. 33 overall prospect in the country. McCarthy is right on the cusp of five-star status, so, as mentioned, a strong performance could push him over the edge.
The Wolverine will be in Nashville to cover the event. Day 1 begins at 4 p.m. central on Monday.
Here are three things McCarthy needs to show at the event.
1. Size — This one doesn't have anything to do with the actual event. It's been a while since national recruiting analysts have had an opportunity to see McCarthy in-person. I, on the other hand, have had the opportunity to see McCarthy on several occasions over the last few months and know he's been putting in extra work in the weight room. Questions about his size are no longer valid as McCarthy is hovering right around 200 pounds and has really developed, especially in his upper body. McCarthy actually has pretty good size at 6-foot-2, so those concerns from national analysts should disappear as soon as Day 1 of the event commences.
2. Consistency — While size isn't a valid question in my mind, you can definitely make an argument for consistency. When McCarthy is firing on all cylinders, he may very well be the best quarterback in the country. But he needs to do that all the time. When I saw him in-game last year, he threw two interceptions. When I saw him in 7v7 this year, he missed an opportunity to win a huge game versus Fast Houston by forcing a throw on the final play of the contest. He was up and down in his last private workout. Again, I love McCarthy and everything he brings to the table. It's hard to find faults in his game, but consistency is key.
3. Win The Damn Thing — McCarthy has outrageous arm talent, is extremely accurate, is advanced fundamentally and can make throws no other high school quarterback can. Those are reasons why he's expected to be the savior at Michigan. However, there still seems to be some doubts from national analysts. McCarthy can put an end to them this week. I've seen fellow competitors like Tyler Buchner, Dematrius Davis, Miller Moss, Drake Maye, Kaidon Salter, Carlos Del Rio and Ty Thompson throw live. I would take McCarthy over all of them. This is his chance to shine and show why he deserves that fifth star.
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