By Reese McBride

JJ McCarthy (left) and Blake Corum (right) during a September press conference. 

As the Michigan Wolverines have more success during their season, more questions have arisen about their starting players, their choice to enter the upcoming NFL Draft and what the draft will look like for those players.

Michigan QB1, JJ McCarthy, has been on the rise to fame ever since his first start against Western Michigan University, where he completed four out of six passes, one of which was for 69 yards. He’s had a great career with the Wolverines, with a win-loss ratio of 27-1 and he’s brought his team to their first national championship in 25 years. 

McCarthy does still have one year left of NCAA eligibility left, but he’s decided to forgo it for the NFL draft. His stock will be the highest this year after his exceptional performance. Websites that predict draft results like The Athletic and USA Today have McCarthy going high in the first round although they’re are too many rumors to accurately predict where he’ll end up. 

“I feel like JJ has a good shot to go in the first round,” Bellbrook football coach Brian Woll said. “Seattle is where some people are saying he will go and I think that would be a good fit. They have a veteran QB, so JJ can learn while he develops watching for as long as the coaches deem necessary.”

McCarthy will be under close watch as the draft approaches and the same can be said for his running back, Blake Corum. 

Corum first gained popularity in high school after he was featured in the TV Show, The Cost of Winning. The reality show gave a new perspective on what students in Baltimore, Maryland, went through in their personal lives and how they persevered through football. 

Corum has been a crucial part of the Michigan offense with 1,111 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in the 2023 season alone. In addition to these stats, Corum is also the new record holder of the most touchdowns in the program’s history. Those 56 touchdowns and 3,737 rushing yards have definitely helped Corums position on the 2024 draft. 

“Corum grades out as a potential top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft,” Pro Football Network writer Ian Cummings said. “Corum has the profile to be productive early in his NFL career.” 

While Corum has a great stat line and an amazing ability to run, his age and other limitations could cause him to drop down to lower rounds.

“Blake’s running style will transfer very well to the NFL,” Woll said. ”But I am concerned that the amount of carries he had while at Michigan will take a couple years off his pro career.”

Corum has been a crucial part of the Michigan offense with 1,111 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in the 2023 season alone. In addition to these stats, Corum is also the new record holder of the most touchdowns in the program’s history.

 “He will, however, be a second – or third – round choice in the 2024 NFL draft due to his age and inability to do anything exceptionally well other than run,” Vincent Pensabene, a writer at Sportskeeda, said.

“With other running backs going to be draft-eligible that are younger than Corum and have a more well-rounded aspect to their game, his draft value drops him to a late second or early third-round grade.” 

As for where Corum might go, there are a few plausible options: 

—The Buffalo Bills. The current quarterback, Josh Allen, took 24 sacks this season, and with sacks, comes injuries. In order to keep him in a healthy and versatile position, the Bills could use Corum to take some pressure off of Allen. 

—The Tennessee Titans. With the trade rumors surrounding Derek Henry, Corum could very well slide into that spot. Taking Henry’s spot would bring a form of youth to the position while also giving the Titans’ budget for the running back position a reset. 

—The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Baker Mayfield returning to the Bucs, things could significantly improve for the offense if they snag Corum in the draft. The Bucs run game wasn’t impressive this season and they have potentially made some room with Mike Evans becoming a free agent. Corum might become a central part of filling that room and bring some new strength to the Bucs offense. 

Any way that it plays out, JJ. McCarthy and Blake Corum are going to be fun to watch at the 2024 NFL Combine starting on February 29.