J.J. McCarthy grew up dreaming of playing for Ohio State. The Buckeyes chose Kyle McCord instead.
McCarthy was the fifth-ranked quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class while McCord was the sixth-ranked quarterback in the cycle, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, but the Buckeyes chose McCord over McCarthy when they accepted his commitment in April 2019. McCarthy committed to Michigan less than two weeks later.
This week’s game between Ohio State and Michigan will test whether Ryan Day and the Buckeyes made the right choice.
McCarthy, who still admits he grew up rooting for the Buckeyes, already got a dose of revenge against Ohio State last year when he threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wolverines to a 45-23 win over the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium.