Jim Harbaugh snubbing Tom Brady for J.J. McCarthy as 'best Michigan QB' has CFB fans abuzz with reactions: "Tom Brady is fuming"

On Monday, Jim Harbaugh made a positive statement about his starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan head coach called the signal-caller a generational talent who is on the route to becoming the best quarterback in the history of the Michigan Wolverines.

Harbaugh said:

“I feel like I stand corrected from what I’ve been saying the last several months, which is I think J.J. is a once-in-a-generation quarterback. J.J. has shown to be on the path to being the best quarterback in Michigan history.”

This has created some wild frenzy within the college football world as many fans saw the statement by Jim Harbaugh as a subtle jab at legendary quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, who had his college football career at Michigan from 1995 to 1999.

Let’s take a look at some of the reactions on X:

Jim Harbaugh backs his claim with stats

Jim Harbaugh believes his assertion does not come out of thin air. The Michigan coach cited J.J. McCarthy’s performance and statistics to back his claims.

“The statistics I’m sure speak to that, and the statistic that speaks to it the most is the amount of successful drives. He’s had 213 drives. We’ve scored on 130 of those drives, and 96 have been touchdowns, 34 field goals, 61%.

“So, it’s really remarkable. There’s no stat that demonstrates the quality of quarterback play more than that statistic, in my mind.”

Notably, McCarthy has numerous other impressive figures to his name this season under Jim Harbaugh. He has amassed 1,512 passing yards and 14 touchdowns with a remarkable 78.2% completion rate on his pass attempts, which ranks as the second-best in the country.

Tom Brady’s whirlwind college career

Tom Brady gave his commitment to Michigan after high school and was seventh on the quarterback depth chart when he enrolled at the university. Following a redshirt season in 1995, he served as a backup quarterback at the program for the subsequent two seasons.

Brady felt frustration and anxiety in his early years at Michigan and enlisted the assistance of a sports psychologist. He even contemplated transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, intending to play for the Golden Bears.

Brady engaged in a fierce competition for the starting quarterback position with Drew Henson. He ultimately secured the starting role and played in every game during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in both seasons and served as the team captain during his senior year.