J.J. McCarthy reacts to possibility of facing Jim Harbaugh twice per year
Amid the wide range of potential landing spots in the NFL for former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Las Vegas Raiders have emerged as a possibility to select him with the No. 13 overall pick. Speaking with reporters at the 2024 NFL Combine, McCarthy reflected on what would be a unique aspect of that selection.
If McCarthy ends up as a quarterback for the Raiders, he’d get to face his former college coach Jim Harbaugh, now leading the Los Angeles Chargers, twice a season. McCarthy readily acknowledged that would be a bit of a trip.
“That would be a little interesting, looking across the field and seeing him in the baby blue. But it would be an honor, just being on that field in general,” McCarthy said. “No matter who is across the sideline. But there would definitely be some nice, emotional hugs afterwards.”
McCarthy apparently met with the Raiders coaches and executives earlier in the week as teams do their due diligence on the quarterback. And the former Michigan signal caller has a range of potential slots to be selected.
Some mock drafts have him going as low as the middle of the second round while others have him pegged as a Top 10 pick. But given the Raiders aren’t even the only quarterback-needy team in the division — the Denver Broncos are also in the market — it’s quite possible McCarthy and his college coach go toe-to-toe in the NFL.
Another Wolverine at the combine raved about Harbaugh, Michigan
Kris Jenkins Jr. has all the admiration in the world for his former Michigan teammates and Harbaugh. And after his workout at the 2024 NFL Combine on Thursday, Jenkins got the chance to gush about them.
The Wolverines won the 2023 national championship and three-straight Big Ten crowns during Jenkins’ career, and sent a record 18 players to the combine this year. Jenkins was plenty proud to be the ambassador for the group.
“It meant everything to us,” Jenkins said on NFL Network. “Michigan became my family. That was the culture that he set up, that all the coaches set up for us. We embrace that. We became a family. It wasn’t just a team, it was a family, it was a unit. So we played for each other, we played for the block M, we played for the alumni. It’s all thanks to coach, really giving us that mindset and allowing us to do what we do best.”