2021 5-star QB J.J. McCarthy commits to Michigan

Michigan picked up an enormous piece of its 2021 class today when Illinois 5-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced his commitment.

Michigan’s rivals actually helped them out in this recruitment, when McCarthy’s other suitors, Notre Dame and Ohio State, took commitments from 4-stars Tyler Buchner and Kyle McCord over McCarthy, respectively.

McCarthy visited campus in early April and quickly made plans to return for this weekend. During his visit, he pulled the trigger, leaving Michigan with the highest-ranked prospect out of the trio, as McCarthy is ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the country and No. 19 overall.

The 6-foot-2 McCarthy threw for 3,448 yards at a 76 percent completion rate, along with 39 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions last season while leading Nazareth Academy to a state championship.

Getting a blue-chip quarterback early in a recruiting cycle can pay huge dividends with the rest of the class, and landing McCarthy should be no different. One of the first prospects that his commitment can affect is fellow Illinois native A.J. Henning, who made the trip to Ann Arbor this weekend with McCarthy.

This should also help with McCarthy’s teammate, 2022 wide receiver Tyler Morris, who already has seven Big Ten offers as a freshman.

This commitment makes Michigan 2-for-2 on top 100 prospects in the 2021 class so far, as McCarthy joins 4-star offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi, who is ranked No. 76 overall. It’s early, but the 2021 cycle looks like it could be very impressive for the Wolverines.

Geek out over McCarthy’s sophomore highlights below: