247sports put together a list of the freshman they think will break out for each time. For Michigan, it’s five-star QB JJ McCarthy:
This could easily be Junior Colson, who has an excellent chance of contributing or perhaps starting next year. But let’s be real: All eyes are on J.J. McCarthy. The five-star signal-caller is considered the biggest factor of hope for Jim Harbaugh’s regime. McCarthy is the highest-rated passer that Harbaugh has signed since Andrew Luck, and he comes to a program that hasn’t produced a single first- or second-team all-Big Ten passer during Harbaugh’s tenure.
All that said, McCarthy is hardly a lock to win the job. Redshirt sophomore Cade McNamara has experience in Josh Gattis’ system, and he played well at times late last year. Michigan also added Alan Bowman from Texas Tech as a grad transfer to add some experience to the room. But when you ponder which QB gives Michigan’s offense the highest long-term ceiling, it’s hard not to lean toward McCarthy.
