HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 08: J.J. McCarthy #9 and head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate after defeating the Washington Huskies during the 2024 CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 08, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Michigan defeated Washington 34-13. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Jim Harbaugh just won a national championship with JJ McCarthy as his quarterback. He truly believes in him.

Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, is such a believer in McCarthy that during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Friday, he made an insane proclamation.

Harbaugh said the former Michigan man will be the first quarterback to come off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Arm talent, athleticism, ‘it’ factor, winning with numbing repetition,” Harbaugh said when asked what McCarthy brings. “Don’t be surprised if (and) when he’s the No. 1 quarterback off the board. That’s my prediction right now.

“When people get a load of JJ and how he can throw the ball, how he spins it, his athleticism, his intelligence, you talk about ‘it’ factor, he’s got it, the competitiveness that he has — and they get around him and they really start digging in, and they start talking to him, that’s an early prediction for the 2024 NFL Draft.”

Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest first-round mock draft for ESPN has McCarthy headed to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16 in the first round.

The quarterbacks he has being taken ahead of him are Caleb Williams to Chicago at No. 1, Jayden Daniels to Washington at No. 2, and Drake Maye to New England at No. 3.

McCarthy totaled 2,991 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 167.4 passer rating while completing 72.3% of his passes this past season.

The two-year starter at Michigan helped it win the College Football National Championship following the 2023 season.