Here are tonight's Blue Chips...
*** I made the short drive to the suburbs today to see Rivals100 Michigan quarterback commit JJ McCarthy at his private training session with personal trainer Greg Holcomb. McCarthy has been splitting time between Chicago and Phoenix, where family lives, over the last month and a half, and it's clear he's staying in peak shape. McCarthy is hovering around 200 pounds and even looks slightly taller. These question marks about McCarhy's size are stupid. Anyone that's seen him lately knows he's been working non-stop in the weight room.
*** McCarthy was on point with his throws today. He only missed a few here and there, but overall, the dude was money, per usual. McCarthy really impressed with his poise and accuracy, but what really stood out to me was his arm strength. I've written about it on several occasions, but McCarthy has a live arm and makes special throws look effortless. His deep balls are beautiful, and he can make any throw towards the sideline. I also love his ball placement and touch. He knows when to rocket throws in and when to add more air.
*** It's really hard to critique McCarthy's game because he can do it all and because he's his own biggest critic. If McCarthy misses a throw, he does pushups. If McCarthy doesn't feel like he's doing a drill up to par, he asks Holcomb for advice. McCarthy is extremely cerebral and is always looking to make minor corrections. He strives to be perfect and to be completely honest, he almost is — at least at the high school level. There is no doubt in my mind that McCarthy is the future of Michigan football.
*** This session also gave me another look at 2020 Michigan wide receiver signee AJ Henning. I watched Henning live in-game in the fall and also saw him at the All-American Bowl in January. Henning was a monster for his team, but he had a very quiet bowl week, which led to a slight rankings drop. Bowl weeks performances are weighed too heavily in my opinion as is NFL potential. I give zero f bombs about the NFL. Henning is perfect for Josh Gattis' speed in space concept and could be a difference maker as a true freshman.
*** Henning was an electric playmaker with pads on and was almost impossible to stop in the open field. While he didn't face any defenders today, you can just tell his speed is different. He can go 0-60 in a blink of an eye and was at his best running shallow crosses and hitch routes. Henning will be used as a slot and in the backfield, but he can also line up outside and go vertical. Speed kills on the field, and Henning has plenty of it. I also like that his route running seems to have improved. Henning spent most of his time at running back in high school, but he's a natural pass catcher.
*** Speaking of natural pass catchers, you can't get much better than Top 100 2022 wide receiver Tyler Morris. I've seen him live on four separate occasions, and I think I've only seen him drop a ball once. Morris hauls in everything in his vicinity and has a great catch radius despite not being a taller receiver. He's an extremely crisp route runner and very advanced from a technical aspect, especially for his age.
*** Morris is one of Michigan's biggest priorities for next cycle, and it's not hard to see why. Morris will need to add weight as he continues to progress, but he has all the tools to be a special player and a Top 50 overall prospect in the country for next cycle. His athleticism is off the charts, and he has more than adequate speed. Couple that with his intangibles, and he's exactly what you want at the position.
*** I made the short drive to the suburbs today to see Rivals100 Michigan quarterback commit JJ McCarthy at his private training session with personal trainer Greg Holcomb. McCarthy has been splitting time between Chicago and Phoenix, where family lives, over the last month and a half, and it's clear he's staying in peak shape. McCarthy is hovering around 200 pounds and even looks slightly taller. These question marks about McCarhy's size are stupid. Anyone that's seen him lately knows he's been working non-stop in the weight room.
*** McCarthy was on point with his throws today. He only missed a few here and there, but overall, the dude was money, per usual. McCarthy really impressed with his poise and accuracy, but what really stood out to me was his arm strength. I've written about it on several occasions, but McCarthy has a live arm and makes special throws look effortless. His deep balls are beautiful, and he can make any throw towards the sideline. I also love his ball placement and touch. He knows when to rocket throws in and when to add more air.
*** It's really hard to critique McCarthy's game because he can do it all and because he's his own biggest critic. If McCarthy misses a throw, he does pushups. If McCarthy doesn't feel like he's doing a drill up to par, he asks Holcomb for advice. McCarthy is extremely cerebral and is always looking to make minor corrections. He strives to be perfect and to be completely honest, he almost is — at least at the high school level. There is no doubt in my mind that McCarthy is the future of Michigan football.
*** This session also gave me another look at 2020 Michigan wide receiver signee AJ Henning. I watched Henning live in-game in the fall and also saw him at the All-American Bowl in January. Henning was a monster for his team, but he had a very quiet bowl week, which led to a slight rankings drop. Bowl weeks performances are weighed too heavily in my opinion as is NFL potential. I give zero f bombs about the NFL. Henning is perfect for Josh Gattis' speed in space concept and could be a difference maker as a true freshman.
*** Henning was an electric playmaker with pads on and was almost impossible to stop in the open field. While he didn't face any defenders today, you can just tell his speed is different. He can go 0-60 in a blink of an eye and was at his best running shallow crosses and hitch routes. Henning will be used as a slot and in the backfield, but he can also line up outside and go vertical. Speed kills on the field, and Henning has plenty of it. I also like that his route running seems to have improved. Henning spent most of his time at running back in high school, but he's a natural pass catcher.
*** Speaking of natural pass catchers, you can't get much better than Top 100 2022 wide receiver Tyler Morris. I've seen him live on four separate occasions, and I think I've only seen him drop a ball once. Morris hauls in everything in his vicinity and has a great catch radius despite not being a taller receiver. He's an extremely crisp route runner and very advanced from a technical aspect, especially for his age.
*** Morris is one of Michigan's biggest priorities for next cycle, and it's not hard to see why. Morris will need to add weight as he continues to progress, but he has all the tools to be a special player and a Top 50 overall prospect in the country for next cycle. His athleticism is off the charts, and he has more than adequate speed. Couple that with his intangibles, and he's exactly what you want at the position.
