Ohio State could’ve had J.J. McCarthy as its quarterback instead of the Michigan Wolverines.
But the Buckeyes made a mistake in their recruitment of McCarthy, and the sports domino effect has been drastic.
Years later, McCarthy has now been traded to the New York Giants on Monday from the Minnesota Vikings.
He was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan, but two years later, the Vikes abandoned ship.
Instead, McCarthy now joins the second Harbaugh brother he has played for.
At Michigan, his head coach was Jim Harbaugh. Now with the Giants, McCarthy’s new head coach is John Harbaugh.
That had to have played a role here, which is why this goes all the way back to the Buckeyes.
J.J. McCarthy and Ohio State
McCarthy grew up in the state of Illinois before playing his senior season of high school football at IMG Academy in Florida.
He was an Ohio State fan growing up, and he got a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.
One problem, though — it came with a condition that McCarthy said at the time wasn’t kept.
McCarthy said during his recruitment that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told him Ohio State wouldn’t take a QB in the 2021 class. Then the Buckeyes accepted Kyle McCord’s commitment.
That pushed McCarthy away from OSU and to Michigan instead.
“I used to love them,” McCarthy said of Ohio State at the time. “Now I want to kill them.”
It’s a fascinating twist in the tale.
Obviously, there would’ve been all sorts of domino effects just in the college ranks. What would’ve happened to McCord? Would the Buckeyes have lost those games in a row to Michigan? How about the subsequent commits like Will Howard and Julian Sayin?
Who would Michigan have ended up with instead? Would Bryce Underwood have still viewed the Wolverines as the place to be?
And then there’s the NFL aspect.
J.J. McCarthy Alternate NFL Timeline
If McCarthy ends up at Ohio State, it’s very possible everything changes. He may have developed differently as a quarterback. He may never have been the Vikings’ pick at No. 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But even in the scenario where McCarthy went in that exact spot despite choosing Columbus instead of Ann Arbor, this latest step might’ve been different.
If McCarthy had never played for Jim Harbaugh, would John Harbaugh have traded for him? There’s no way to know that for sure, because it’s not how it happened, but it’s worth considering.
The Vikings may have had to find a different place to trade McCarthy — maybe a spot with more of an Ohio State connection instead.
But again, McCarthy may have been a totally different QB altogether. Maybe he would’ve been a clear starter by now in Minnesota, or maybe he never would’ve broken through at all for the Buckeyes to even get to the NFL.
It’s an alternate timeline that we’ll never know how it plays out, but it sure is fascinating to think about.
How Ohio State’s Insult Led J.J. McCarthy to New York Giants Trade