How old is Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy? Since his freshman campaign, McCarthy has seen the field in some capacity. Now, in his third year, he’s as close as ever to making the leap to the NFL Draft.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy’s Age and Draft Eligibility
McCarthy is 20 years old. He was born on January 20, 2003. If he declares for the 2024 NFL Draft, he will be a 21-year-old rookie in the NFL.
McCarthy is relatively young, especially in a 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class with 24-year-old prospects like Oregon’s Bo Nix and Florida State’s Jordan Travis. Playing QB has always been second nature for McCarthy, allowing him to achieve early success.
In high school, McCarthy was a multi-year starter and a state title winner at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Illinois, before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. At IMG, he closed out his high school career with an 8-0 record, 16 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
In 2021 — his first year at Michigan — McCarthy often sat behind incumbent starter Cade McNamara. McCarthy was periodically brought in on a situational basis, and in 2022, the former four-star recruit took the reins as the full-time starter.
In 2022, McCarthy completed 208 of 322 pass attempts for 2,719 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions, leading the Wolverines to a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
Thus far in 2023, McCarthy has completed 71 of 89 pass attempts (79.8%) for 930 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions.
McCarthy’s 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report
USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are the top two quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. But past them, the board is wide open. There are a host of contenders for the QB3 spot. McCarthy joins Nix, Travis, Shedeur Sanders, Michael Penix Jr., Riley Leonard, Quinn Ewers, Cameron Ward, and others in that group.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
To see how McCarthy stacks up against the rest of the group and where he stands to improve as a prospect, you can check out his full 2024 NFL Draft scouting report here at Pro Football Network.
