Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been making waves in the college football scene, especially after leading his team to a national championship victory. His impressive performance not only earned bold prediction from his former coach Jim Harbaugh but also caught the attention of NFL greats.
Following Michigan’s national championship win, McCarthy received a text message from none other than legendary NFL player Peyton Manning. Manning revealed this during an appearance on 104.3 The Fan’s Stokley and Josh show, expressing his admiration and congratulating the young star.
The unexpected message from Manning initially left McCarthy skeptical, believing it might be a prank. However, Manning reached out again to confirm his identity, reassuring McCarthy of the authenticity of the message. This time, the young star couldn’t contain his enthusiasm after realizing it was indeed the Hall of Famer.
Peyton Manning tells @joshuadover & @bstokley14 that he had a conversation with J.J. McCarthy this week:
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 23, 2024
“Impressive to talk to. I know Denver’s very interested in him. It sounded like this is a place he’d love to come to.”
More from @Shapalicious here: https://t.co/UOMEYbGuDN pic.twitter.com/0OxMrwIhN2
“I guess he thought it was a prank, he never called me back so I texted him Monday from the same number. And he’s like, ‘Oh, it really is you, Yeah, I thought that somebody was pranking me.’ And so I just kind of wished him luck and he asked me some questions. So he called me back and he was impressive to talk to,” Manning told.
The former Michigan quarterback’s accomplishments at Michigan surpassed Manning’s college achievements, per Denver Sports. His leadership in securing Michigan’s first national championship win since 1997, with an impeccable 15-0 record, was the main attraction that caught the attention of Manning.
Hence, following his draft declaration, McCarthy quickly made headlines with reports suggesting a potential link to the New England Patriots. Intriguingly, the young quarterback has recently shown interest in these rumors, particularly praising Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo.
J.J. McCarthy lavishly praises Patriots HC Jerod Mayo
The Patriots are undergoing a transformation under their new head coach, Jerod Mayo, who aims to rebuild the team culture and find a franchise quarterback following the departure of Mac Jones.
This leadership caught the attention of J.J. McCarthy. During an appearance on the Adam Schefter Podcast, J.J. McCarthy expressed his admiration for Mayo’s vision and his commitment to rebuilding the Patriots.
J.J. McCarthy, on the @AdamSchefter Pod, says he met with #Patriots owner Robert Kraft while on his visit:
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) April 23, 2024
“The coolest, smoothest guy I’ve met in a long time. Just being able to know that you’re in good hands when the Kraft family is running that whole thing.
"And obviously…
“Obviously Coach Mayo’s been apart of that success over the years. And what he’s building is a feeling that I got when I first stepped onto Michigan — a sense of urgency to rebuild the culture, rebuild this team to where they want to get to and where they were,” he said.
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s impressive performances at both the NFL Combine and his pro day have garnered attention and elevated his draft prospects. It’s reported that McCarthy has already set to a visit with the Patriots as they actively seek to fill the void left by legendary quarterback Tom Brady and rebuild their legacy.
