Michigan quarterback commit JJ McCarthy is gearing up to compete in the Illinois 7A state championship on Saturday afternoon.

The four-star prospect and his fellow La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy teammates will be squaring off against in-state power Mount Carmel (Ill.) High.

The matchup features a pair of programs that are both undefeated and loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.

“We are worried about getting ourselves better,” McCarthy said ahead of the game. “We’re not worried about Mount Carmel. We are worried about us achieving greatness and taking care of business.”

McCarthy threw five touchdown passes in the IHSA semifinals last Saturday helped Nazareth cruise to a 42-14 victory over Rolling Meadows.

Prior to kickoff this weekend, McCarthy will be honored as an All-State athlete along with fellow teammate and 2022 Michigan wide receiver target Tyler Morris.

However, McCarthy isn’t thinking about individual attention. He has his sights set on winning back-to-back state titles for the Roadrunners.

“We’re not satisfied yet,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got one more game, and we haven’t won anything yet,”

While Nazareth has a big game on Saturday, McCarthy’s future team has an important one of its own. Michigan will take on Ohio State in Ann Arbor and all eyes will on ‘The Game.’

McCarthy won’t be able to visit since he’s competing for a ring, but he did offer a prediction.

“I say we win by 10,” McCarthy said.

The Wolverine will be traveling to DeKalb to watch McCarthy along with several other Michigan targets throughout the day.

At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, McCarthy is ranked as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback and No. 27 overall prospect in the nation, per Rivals.com.

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