Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy, a first round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, made a comment this offseason that unexpectedly helps illustrate why Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel should be viewed as the premier quarterback developer in college football.
McCarthy's comments had nothing to do with Heupel, but they're a great example of why Heupel is so effective as a quarterback developer.
The former Michigan quarterback made a comment this offseason (via ESPN) about the pre-draft process and his meeting with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell that shows how important it is for a head coach who specializes in quarterbacks to have experience playing the position at a high level.
McCarthy noted that his pre-draft interactions with O'Connell were a main reason why he considered the Vikings his top preferred destination ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Michigan standout pointed out that having a head coach who was a former quarterback is "special" and " means a lot".
From ESPN : McCarthy later said the experience was a significant part of why he considered Minnesota his top potential destination.
"It was the way [O'Connell] presents the install," McCarthy said, "the way he compartmentalizes everything about how to look at this play individually and how to make it more relatable to what your knowledge is and how you can smoothly and efficiently step into this playbook.
"That was something that was truly unique because you go around to so many defensive coaches like [Washington's] Dan Quinn and [New England's] Jerod Mayo, and being able to have that relationship as former QB and current QB, it's truly special and it means a lot."
O'Connell, who was actually born in Knoxville, was a standout quarterback at San Diego State before getting selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. O'Connell spent four seasons in the NFL before transitioning to a career in coaching.
McCarthy was one of the more pro-ready quarterbacks in the 2024 draft thanks in large part to the fact that he was coached by Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.
Harbaugh was also a standout quarterback in college, starring at Michigan before getting selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft.
There are plenty of quarterback developers who played the position in college. USC head coach Lincoln Riley, for example, was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech before he became a student assistant for the Red Raiders. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was a quarterback at New Hampshire. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was a quarterback at BYU. And Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was a quarterback at Fresno State.
None of those coaches, however, were in the spotlight like Heupel was at Oklahoma in 1999 and 2000. Not only did Heupel lead the Sooners to a national championship in 2000, but he also dealt with the distraction of a Heisman Trophy race (Heupel finished second to Florida State's Chris Weinke). And he went through the NFL Draft process (Heupel was a sixth round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 2001 NFL Draft).
Heupel, in addition to being a savvy X's and O's guy, has already been through everything that an elite quarterback recruit expects to experience at the collegiate level. He's dealt with pressure, he's played in huge rivalry games, and he's been under the microscope at one of the most storied programs in college football. Everything Heupel's coaching, he's lived -- unlike most quarterback developers.
It's clear from McCarthy's comments that having a head coach who has lived the life of a star college football player is beneficial. It's part of what made Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, one of the top quarterback developers in recent years. And it's why O'Connell is quickly earning a similar reputation in the NFL.
Heupel's experience and his ability to connect with quarterbacks in a unique "I've-already-lived-it" kind of way is why Tennessee should be considered the current premier collegiate destination for elite quarterbacks. Heupel's providing a style of coaching for quarterbacks that very few coaches across the sport can rival.
Related: Tennessee Vols HC Josh Heupel gives his version of one of the best Mike Leach stories you'll ever hear
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