Jim Harbaugh thinks J.J. McCarthy is on path towards legendary status at Michigan

There's no doubting the fact that Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been great this season for the Wolverines. But is he having the type of campaign that would put him amongst the greats that have come before him?

At least according to his head coach, Jim Harbaugh, not only should McCarthy be amongst that group, but he could end up being at the top of the list.

“I feel like I stand corrected from what I’ve been saying the last several months, which is I think J.J. is a once in a generation quarterback,” Harbaugh said in a recent news conference (h/t On3). “J.J. has shown to be on path to be the best quarterback in Michigan history.

Michigan's all-time passing leader is Chad Henne, who threw for 9,715 yards and 87 touchdowns with 37 interceptions from 2004-07. His best season saw him throw for 2,526 yards and 23 touchdowns with eight interceptions, though it's worth noting that the early 2000s featured a much different brand of football than 2023.

Still, McCarthy is undoubtedly on pace seven games in, with 1,512 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, along with three interceptions.

Those aren't the only stats Harbaugh is looking at, though.

“The statistics I’m sure speak to that, and the statistic that speaks to it the most is amount of [successful drives. He’s had 213 drives. We’ve scored on 130 of those drives, and 96 have been touchdowns, 34 field goals, 61%. So, it’s really remarkable. There’s no stat that demonstrates the quality of quarterback play more than that statistic, in my mind," Harbaugh said.

John Navaree is Michigan's single-season passing leader with 3,331 yards and 24 touchdowns (10 interceptions) thrown in 2003. 

McCarthy would have to throw for 363 yards per game over the next five to match that mark, but either way, Harbaugh thinks he's going to be Michigan's standard bearer moving forward.

“I think going forward, J.J. will be the quarterback that all future quarterbacks are compared to,” Harbaugh said.