The 2022 Michigan Football team was a very run-first-heavy team, but with the running back tandem of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards being as advertised, the passing game was overlooked at times by opponents. Quarterback JJ McCarthy was sure to make some teams pay and showed off his excellent arm talent in the games against Ohio State, Indiana, and TCU. He finished the season with 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns in the air, with five interceptions.
JJ had a fantastic first year as the starter in 2022 and showed a lot of promise and huge play-making ability. With this being his first full offseason as the starter, I expect him to make a huge leap and perfect some of his mistakes, especially his touch on his deep ball, which he seemed to struggle with at times. But can he pass the Michigan all-time single-season passing touchdowns record this year? The record holds strong at 25, held by Chad Henne (2006) and Elvis Grbac (1991). But even with the run-heavy offense, JJ was only four touchdowns away from passing the record.
Why JJ McCarthy Will Pass the Record
I expect JJ McCarthy to surpass this record in 2023 and for a few different reasons. The first is Jim Harbaughs comments about this year’s offense potentially being 50 percent run and 50 percent pass.
Michigan QB JJ McCarthy (9) – Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The second being the improvement and playmaking ability of some of the weapons on offense. Senior wide receiver Roman Wilson is one of the fastest players on the team and can take the top off the defense at any moment when lining up in the slot. Sophomore tight end Colston Loveland showed excellent promise and huge playmaking ability a few times last year, and also showed ability as a deep-ball catcher. Running back Donovan Edwards being used as a target more this year will also benefit JJ, as the two showed great chemistry at points last year on offense.
The final reason for JJ McCarthys potentially huge year would be his ability to run outside the pocket and extend plays. He did an excellent job at extending plays to get his top receivers open, and if he has improved at throwing down-field on the run, expect a huge year for him.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson (14) – Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Overall, I expect huge things from JJ McCarthy this season, as a full offseason of starting reps will benefit him greatly, along with many of Michigan’s offensive weapons. My final prediction is that JJ will throw for over 3,000 yards and 30-35 touchdowns, shattering the passing touchdowns record completely.
