"Free Harbaugh": Michigan starting QB JJ McCarthy sports cryptic' tee amid Coach's 3-game suspension
JJ McCarthy, the starting quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines, is known for his vocal leadership within the program. However, his head coach, Jim Harbaugh, has been suspended for three games by the NCAA due to recruiting violations. This suspension has not been well-received by the players.
During the season opener against the East Carolina Pirates, the second-ranked Michigan Wolverines made an interesting fashion statement. The team came out of the bus with unique gear, and the most notable was their quarterback JJ McCarthy who wore a jersey with the word 'Harbaugh' on it, but with a piece of tape covering it and the word "FREE" written on it.
It has been widely known that the program is not happy with the decision to suspend Jim Harbaugh. The NCAA originally wanted to suspend him for four games but the school attempted to lessen the punishment by self-punishing him with a three-game suspension.
Jim Harbaugh is expected to miss three non-conference games at home against the East Carolina Pirates, UNLV Rebels and Bowling Green Falcons. He would return to the sidelines on September 23 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
What should we expect out of JJ McCarthy in the 2023 season?
Junior quarterback JJ McCarthy has been one of the top quarterbacks heading into the season. Looking at his 2022 season, he finished going 208-of-322 (64.6 completion percentage) for 2,719 yards with 22 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. This program has a lot of talent to make JJ McCarthy's life a little easier as well.
He has been a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy heading into this season and should be able to continue to improve. With senior running back Blake Corum able to control the game in the backfield, the Wolverines offense is going to be a great strength. When coach Jim Harbaugh returns, the team should be undefeated and are the favorite to win the Big Ten Conference with their incredible talent and coaching.
It is likely that JJ McCarthy is going to declare for the 2024 NFL draft and will be one of the top quarterbacks in the class. Outside of USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, who is going to be considered a better quarterback prospect for an NFL team?
Expect a significant boost to his numbers this season as he can approach 30 passing touchdowns and 3,000 yards. This team is going to be winning for a majority of games and that is the only downfall to his counting stats. If he can get closer to a 66-68 completion percentage, that would boost this Wolverines offense to a completely new level.