Michigan football’s J.J. McCarthy has a lot on his mind. He’d rather not think about it.

J.J. McCarthy would prefer to clear his head and remove all the clutter. The meditative Michigan football quarterback fears he’ll suffer paralysis from over-analysis if he thinks too much.

But he can’t help himself.

His synapses always seem to be firing and his mind is constantly racing, which is why he’s currently reading a book on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. He says it is helping him at this critical time when he has much to contemplate, including his past, present and future. They have all converged as McCarthy and the Wolverines dive into their preparation for mighty Alabama, the SEC powerhouse that will face them in the Rose Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

What happens on the field in Pasadena, California, in under two weeks from now could be the beginning of a triumphant coda to a luminescent Michigan career or just another pivot point in his ongoing college journey. McCarthy has no idea what it will be as he weighs whether to relinquish his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft or return to school.

“Only God knows that question,” he said.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy meditates during warmups before the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

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When his coach, Jim Harbaugh, recently tried to broach the subject, McCarthy said he would prefer not to discuss it.

His focus was on the Crimson Tide and the opportunity to atone for his erratic performance last December in a 51-45 loss to TCU that denied the Wolverines a chance to compete for a national title against Georgia. McCarthy, perhaps more than anyone else, bore the brunt of that defeat after he threw a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns and then saw his…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-footballs-j-j-mccarthy-111035038.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2023-12-19 11:10:35

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