Report: J.J. McCarthy, Girlfriend Katya Get Engaged As Michigan QB Enters NFL Draft

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A national championship ring isn’t the only ring on J.J. McCarthy’s mind these days.

Larry Lage of the Associated Press reported the Michigan quarterback got engaged to longtime girlfriend, Katya, on Sunday. It was a busy day for McCarthy, as he also announced he was entering the 2024 NFL draft.

Rebecca Aizin of People noted McCarthy and Katya have been dating for more than five years and since they were in high school together.

This has been quite the week for the quarterback.

He helped lead the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday with a commanding 34-13 victory over Washington. While the rushing attack did most of the heavy lifting on the offensive side, he completed 10-of-18 passes for 140 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Now he is set to be married and continue his football career in the NFL.

B/R’s NFL Scouting Department listed McCarthy as the 99th-best player and seventh-best quarterback in its most recent big board of the top prospects. He was not projected as a first-round pick in its most recent mock draft.

He will have an opportunity to move up draft boards ahead of April’s event at pro days and the NFL Scouting Combine. The quarterback position can also be somewhat unpredictable on draft day as teams trade up with an eye on the cornerstone position.

Regardless of how his NFL career unfolds, though, McCarthy will forever be a Michigan legend.

He helped flip the rivalry with Ohio State, which the Buckeyes dominated for two decades prior to his arrival. The Wolverines have now won three straight head-to-head matchups and turned those victories into Big Ten championships all three years.

They also won their first CFP national championship since the playoff system was established for the 2014 season and have reestablished themselves as one of the sport’s premiere programs.

McCarthy will surely return to raucous greetings whenever he is back on campus for games, and he will likely do so as a married man following his engagement.