McCarthy eager to return to Columbus
The month of March will be a busy one for the Buckeyes. Spring practice will start and recruiting will really begin to heat up with prospects making visits throughout the month. One notable visitor will be La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The class of 2021 signal caller is one of the nation's top underclassmen quarterback prospects. McCarthy will be in Columbus on March 22nd and 23rd.
"This will be my second visit (to Ohio State)," McCarthy stated. "I was at the OSU vs. Indiana game (last season). I really want to talk to some of the current players. The culture at OSU looks amazing and I want to make sure the players feel the same way."
A two-day visit will allow McCarthy to interact with players, coaches, and recruits as well as get a better feel for the campus and the academics. The Buckeyes are off to a strong start with McCarthy on two fronts. McCarthy already had interest in Ohio State stemming from his previous visit and the addition of Mike Yurcich as quarterbacks coach only heightened that interest.
"I was really interested in OSU prior to him being there," McCarthy explained. Now that Coach Yurcich is there, I couldn't be happier. Between coach Day and coach Yurcich, the sky is the limit on how far this offense can go. Can't wait to watch next season."
McCarthy and Yurcich have built a strong foundation over the past several months and McCarthy is also starting to speak more regularly with Day.
"I talked to (Yurcich) during the fall almost weekly," he recalled. "I now reach out to him at least once a week. I love talking ball and life with him. Coach Day and I had a great conversation a couple weeks ago. I cannot wait to hear more about his vision as head coach. Coach (Corey) Dennis has been awesome to talk with also."
The game day visit back in the fall set the tone for Ohio State to get this return visit.
"Going into the visit I heard the game day atmosphere was one of the best in sports," he stated. "I can say 100% they were right. The pep rally (Skull Session) was the highlight for me. I had no idea what I was walking into and next thing you know 10,000 people are packed in a gym to wish the players good luck. I had never seen anything like that. On the field before the game was the best. I met coach (John) Cooper and some other coaches. Coach Dennis made me feel like I should be preparing to play QB for the Buckeyes. It was awesome."
The Buckeyes will enter the visit having McCarthy's full attention with the potential to make another big move up the list.
"Ohio State is very high on my list," McCarthy said. "The coaches have made every effort to make me feel like they want me as their QB for the 2021 class. I cannot wait to visit in March."
In addition to Ohio State, McCarthy holds offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others and is also receiving heavy interest from Notre Dame.