BREAKING: JJ McCarthy enters transfer portal, expected to lead Buckeyes in Cotton Bowl versus Missouri
It didn’t take long for Ohio State to find a replacement for Kyle McCord, who on Monday morning announced he was entering college football’s transfer portal, making him eligible to land a quarterback role at another school.
Quick to capitalize on the opening was Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, who immediately announced that he too would be entering the portal in order to land his dream job of playing for the Buckeyes.
“I want to thank the University of Michigan for everything it has done in preparing me for this moment,” McCarthy said. “We accomplished some great things together: Consecutive wins over our biggest rival, conference championships and back-to-back berths in the college football playoff. Nevertheless, I’ve always felt that I belong in scarlet and gray. God works in mysterious ways, I guess.”
McCarthy said that, while he would have enjoyed the chance to help top-seeded Michigan win its first national championship since 1997, the opportunity to lead Ohio State in an exhibition bowl game against two-loss Missouri was simply too great to pass up.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook this morning, as you might imagine,” OSU coach Ryan Day said. “But one call in particular really lifted my spirits in what has otherwise been a difficult time. And that was hearing JJ McCarthy emotionally express his desire to be my next quarterback. I’m pretty ecstatic right now if you can’t tell.”
In a television interview, when asked how McCarthy’s departure will impact his team, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh characteristically looked bug-eyed into the camera for a full minute without speaking or blinking. He has since been taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center, where his condition reportedly has not changed.
For his part, McCord has already accepted the position of quarterback for the Wolverines. While not ideal, this “trade” is not all negative for Harbaugh’s squad, as McCord has already demonstrated a better-than-average ability to complete passes to Michigan receivers.