Craig Nall, former elite 11 instructor quarterback and former NFL signalman, was in Nashville for the event last week, which saw JJ McCarthy, a five-star Michigan Wolverines player, face off against some of the best country arm talents.
Nall spoke to Maize n Brew earlier this week to share his views on performance and what he has seen from a player who appears to have a bright future in college.
One of the things that shocked Nall the most was how quickly McCarthy adapted to coaching. Instructor Elite 11 cited an example in an exercise where the 17-year-old Michigan clerk had to tinker with his footwork in his five-step fall while initiating sewing routes.
Nall saw that McCarthy was barely out of reach on his deep balls, as the catcher was unable to catch the ball in stride. Nall pointed out a flaw in the weight distribution in his steps during the dropbacks and just like that, McCarthy’s deep ball started to improve.
“I don’t often have the ability to make immediate improvement like that,” said Nall. “Sometimes I just need you to feel what I see and if I can make you feel what I see, then I did my job. I think he can probably clean up his footwork a bit in terms of more distinct steps, but the basic balance load and all of these principles that we teach, it checks all of these boxes. “
Not all of the boxes he checked because McCarthy is capable of doing much more on the ground. Nall shared his thoughts on Michigan engagement with Maize n Brew before the Elite 11 competition.
“My notes on him: sudden, clean and effective blow, throw tight windows, anticipate well for the first and second window, can jostle to extend the games if necessary, a solid footwork keeps him on time, Often uses slide dropping (which I think is a plus), and he’s a bit of a risk taker by making several attempts late in the middle, “said Nall.
Before the Elite 11 finals, Nall said he had McCarthy ranked as the No. 10 quarterback in Nashville. He also mentioned that he and other Elite 11 coaches had to base most of their pre-Elite 11 Finals rankings on highlights tapes, essays, quizzes, and pro say scripts due to the COVID outbreak. -19 and the closing of regional Elite 11 competitions where first impressions are generally made. Thus, Nall had a lot to learn about several of the student-athletes who will make it to the finals, McCarthy being one of them.
Nall says he’s not the best at making comparisons to the quarterback, but has had a few names that came to mind when asked who McCarthy is comparing himself to.
“Maybe a bit like a Drew Lock or Josh Rosen,” he said. “Very well mechanically. I think his leadership skills will shine once he has the opportunity to be “the guy.” He explained in his essay how he broke his thumb during state championship week. Against the doctor’s orders, he went out and played anyway and I think they won the match based on his game.
“On the ground, sort of these types of guys, he’s kind of built like (Aaron) Rodgers. Once he has entered a weight program, he will likely gain another 10-15 pounds. He could reach 215 pounds at the peak of his career. It’s a good NFL size. This is exactly where Rodgers is, this is where (Brett) Favre was. “
While all competitors in the Elite 11 finals will draw comparisons to college and NFL players like these, they still have a long way to go in their development journey. Nall mentioned that Trent Dilfer (who is the head coach of Elite 11) sat down with all the young quarters and shared a similar message.
Nall explained why this was the case.
“They just don’t know what they don’t know yet. We see at this level and at this stage in their lives, these children are exceptional, ”he said.
Despite the exceptional talent at all levels in the Elite 11 finals, several recruitment sites and the coaches themselves create their rankings for the players. Nall said that people should not trust much of what these outside scouts have to say, as they are not involved in all of the complex conversations and movie shows in which he and other coaches can participate.
“Not everyone who posts their rankings sees what I see in these meetings. Is someone in the front row, asking questions and commenting when I ask a question? Or are they sitting in the back, looking down, playing on their phones and not paying attention? We did it and it is part of our assessment. So (these other outlets) just base their rankings on the field, ”said Nall.
So how do coaches assess these athletes after all exercises and meetings are completed? Nall described how the process goes by saying that “50% is based on the film, but the remaining 50% is based on engagement, interactions, performance on the ground, all of those types of things. So it’s not just based on football. “
Nall admitted that part of the field performance this season was skewed due to the lack of 7v7 exercises due to social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quarterback chief instructor explained that the guys who came away with the MVP Elite 11 like Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa and Shea Patterson were not necessarily so high during the drilling work, but rather deserved the price after dominating the tournament 7 against 7.. Fields threw 17 touchdowns and no interceptions, and Patterson won a quadruple overtime game in an elimination game and went on to the championship. Moments and stats like this have been seriously missed in this year’s competition because Nall couldn’t see “how some of these guys grab, claw, claw, fight and are ready to do whatever it takes is necessary to surrender (the championship match). “
Even in the absence of arguably the most important exercise, the ranking has yet to be established for Elite 11 services and Nall told Maize N ‘Brew that McCarthy was “definitely one of the top 10 … probably around six or seven. ” This means that his performance in exercises, his attitude and his overall charisma helped him jump four places in Nall’s eyes before the event at the end of the competition.
Nall on McCarthy against five-star OSU engagement Kyle McCord: “It’s a really tough decision”
Michigan may have its best Harbaugh-era quarterback rookie at McCarthy, but Ohio State continues to attract elite talent and has a smuggler to come in 2021 to Kyle McCord.
Two-quarters of the 2021 class are five-star rookies, and when two great talents like McCord and McCarthy head to opposite schools in one of the biggest sporting rivalries, it’s hard not to compare the two.
But they couldn’t be more opposed in terms of off-field personalities according to Nall.
“McCarthy has a contagious personality,” he said. “He just has a huge smile on his face. (McCarthy’s) has energy, he has the juice. He wants to be there. He tries to lead by example, but he is also vocal and very positive. I hope the best for the child, because it looks very authentic and pure. “
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s counterpart and future rival, McCord, had a very different approach to training at Elite 11, and he blocked Nall and others during the competition.
“Regarding personality, McCord is a little different, he was more serious and more focused,” he said. “He was there to win. I’m not saying that JJ didn’t come with expectations, you know? But you can just say a little bit about the seriousness of an athlete, the pace at which he plays, (McCord) was not there to joke. Caleb Williams, much the same way. These guys were really focused on winning. “
“We had them five or six days ago, so there was a lot more soul building stuff going on in Elite 11 and The Opening and all that. We asked Justin Fields (MVP Elite 11 2017), “ Did many of these things affect you? and he said, “Honestly, coach, I thought it was great, but I was focusing on winning and winning. That’s what I was from. That’s how Caleb (Williams) approached it and that’s how I see McCord. Not that JJ is not, it’s just different in terms of personality. JJ is a little more sparkling, and open, and more dialogue, where Kyle is more concentrated, and silent, and just does his job. If (McCord) didn’t get the upper hand, he was pissed off. So you can see that kind of construction and motivation (Kyle). You must have this motivation. It must come from within. “
“Physically, I thought (McCord) had thrown the ball well the times I saw him on the field. We were impressed with what we saw on tape translating in the field. Sometimes it’s hard to say how strong their arms are, are they 6 feet 4 inches or is it more like 6 feet 2 and 6 feet 4 with cleats? (McCord) checked what I saw on tape and thought he was a stallion, probably in the top three for me. “
While Buckeye’s commitment was certainly impressive in the Elite 11 competition, McCarthy also performed in Nashville last week and has excited Nall several times.
“I guess (by default) in my ranking, I would probably say yes. They’re both great kids, you know? What would be the right solution for my locker room? (That) might be a deciding factor, but I think they both have very high caps and hopefully play early in their college careers, “said Nall.
As mentioned earlier by the Elite 11 coach, these two quarters still have years of training ahead of them. McCarthy is transferred to one of the best high school programs in the country at IMG Academy. Nall praised McCarthy’s private coach Greg Holcomb, who he said “gave (McCarthy) the right information, and I think that shows how he fared last week.”
Ultimately, what counts is the talent in the quarterback at Ann Arbor, and McCarthy will likely be the fourth former Elite 11 competitor to find his way since Jim Harbaugh took over the program. Nall has weighed in on Michigan’s quarterback and what he sees.
“Cade McNamara was also on my team a few years ago. He is a solid player. He probably just needs to go out there and keep growing, ”said Nall. “Joe Milton is physically gifted, but can he lead? Does he receive the offense very well? I do not know. I’m not there (Michigan). So it’s going to be difficult, but there is going to be competition wherever you go.
“(McCarthy’s) development will be determined by who is still there. I think he can probably stand shoulder to shoulder with McCaffrey. It’s a very good competition to be careful to move forward. “
