J.J. McCarthy Gets Good and Bad News From Vikings’ 1st-Round Pick

 
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J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up during training camp.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy reportedly “pounded the table” for his team to draft his former high school teammate, Alabama guard Tyler Booker, in the first round.

Unfortunately, Booker was selected much higher than anticipated — drafted by the Dallas Cowboys 12th overall.

The good news? The Vikings heeded McCarthy’s calls that would improve the offensive line.

However, instead of reuniting McCarthy with his former teammate, Minnesota’s best option was to look toward a Michigan rival instead.

The Vikings selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson 24th overall, who was considered the “unsung hero” of the Buckeyes’ national championship run last season.

McCarthy has held a vendetta against Ohio State, saying the Buckeyes coaching staff “lied” to him during his recruiting process when he was just 16 years old. McCarthy made it his M.O. to “kill” Ohio State as a Wolverine, and did so, putting down the Buckeyes in his undefeated run to the 2023 national championship.

But, to McCarthy’s chagrin, he had to bear witness to Jackson and Ohio State winning a national title the next year.

The two national champions will surely put their collegiate differences to the side — but it will make for some entertaining locker room dynamics.

 
Donovan Jackson’s Impressive Move During Buckeyes National Title Season
 
GettyDonovan Jackson #74 of the Ohio State Buckeyes seen in action against the Michigan Wolverines.
After never playing left tackle at Ohio State, Jackson was tapped to move to left tackle for the final nine games of last season due to starting left tackle Josh Simmons suffering a season-ending knee injury in October.

Jackson made the move with grace.

After allowing a pair of sacks and five pressures in his first start against Penn State, which featured No. 1 pass rusher and 2nd overall pick Abdul Carter, Jackson did not allow a sack the rest of the season.

He continued to grow at the position, and his best performances came when the Buckeyes needed him most.

In the NCAA postseason, Jackson did not allow a single sack, or quarterback and just one hurry against end-of-season top-ranked Oregon, No. 4 Texas and No. 3 Notre Dame.

The performance that Jackson put on tape going down the final stretch of the season led some draftniks to consider whether Jackson is a better fit at tackle than guard.

However, Jackson’s skill set offers such a high floor at the guard position that those questions are of little concern.

 
J.J. McCarthy’s Grudge Against Ohio State
Jackson’s first-round selection by the Vikings makes him the only current active player on the roster from Ohio State, which should lead to some friendly ribbing from his quarterback.

McCarthy’s grudge against the Buckeyes goes back to his visit in Columbus, where the coaching staff didn’t seem to show a strong interest in him but invited him on campus.

“Coach Day told me he wasn’t going to take (a 2021 quarterback) until the end of summer or anything like that because he wanted to make sure everything was all good, so I didn’t really worry about all that during my visit,” McCarthy told The Athletic. “But I didn’t get that feeling when I was there. I really didn’t, with all the coaches there and how they interacted with us, I didn’t feel the big family tradition part of it. It was either you’re good at football or you’re over here. That’s what I felt.”

The Buckeyes ended up receiving a commitment from fellow 2021 quarterback prospect Kyle McCord in May. After being spurned by the Buckeyes, McCarthy gave his pledge to Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh soon after.

“I get it’s a business, but it always sucks being lied to,” McCarthy added. “And that’s kind of where the rivalry started for me. And the hatred. But what are you going to do? It’s a business and they have to do what they have to do. They lied to my face, but it’s all good now.”
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire