May 06, 2024
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NFL Draft: Nazareth’s J.J. McCarthy goes to Minnesota Vikings at pick 10

McCarthy selected after leading Nazareth, University of Michigan to championships

By Michal Dwojak
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrate with the trophy after their win against Washington in the national championship game in January in Houston.

Michigan quarterback and La Grange Park-native J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after winning the national championship against Washington in the national championship in Houston this past season. McCarthy was drafted in the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft in Detroit. (Eric Gay/AP)

The Minnesota Vikings selected La Grange Park native and former Nazareth quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 25 in Detroit. McCarthy celebrated with family and friends in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

McCarthy becomes the second former Nazareth football player to be drafted in the past six years. Julian Love, who graduated from the La Grange Park school in 2016, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

[ The journey of J.J. McCarthy: From Nazareth to NFL Draft ]

The Vikings traded up one spot to select McCarthy, who will enter a quarterback room with Sam Darnold. They’ll try to replace Kirk Cousins, who signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason.

McCarthy seemed destined for the NFL after earning a college scholarship offer from Iowa State as an eighth grader. He lived up to the billing with impressive high school and college careers.

As a sophomore at Michigan, McCarthy became the starter and led the Wolverines to the college football playoff semifinals in 2022. He built off that success and won a national championship in January. McCarthy earned first-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and Rose Bowl Offensive MVP honors during his junior season.

After splitting time among the freshman, sophomore and varsity teams as a freshman at Nazareth, McCarthy led the Roadrunners to the 2018 Class 7A state championship as a first-year starter during his sophomore season. Nazareth advanced to the 2019 Class 7A state championship game during McCarthy’s junior season.

McCarthy transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior season because Illinois did not play football in fall 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.