BleedGopher
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Per Marcus:
Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and the Gophers' Athan Kaliakmanis never faced off as starting quarterbacks in high school, but their paths crossed for years as Illinois' top signal callers in the 2021 class.
McCarthy developed into a five-star recruit at Nazareth Academy. Kaliakmanis became a four-star recruit at Antioch about an hour away. They were recruited and committed to Big Ten programs early in high school, but they also knew each other from camps and workouts.
On Saturday night, McCarthy leads the second-ranked Wolverines (5-0) into Huntington Bank Stadium as one of the best quarterbacks in the country on a quest to win a national title.
Kaliakmanis enters the matchup trying to help the Gophers (3-2) find their groove while he grows into their offensive leader in his first year as a full-time starter.
"I have a ton of respect for J.J.," said Kaliakmanis, a redshirt sophomore. "I'm really happy for him and what he's done at [Michigan] there. I think he's a great player."
m.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and the Gophers' Athan Kaliakmanis never faced off as starting quarterbacks in high school, but their paths crossed for years as Illinois' top signal callers in the 2021 class.
McCarthy developed into a five-star recruit at Nazareth Academy. Kaliakmanis became a four-star recruit at Antioch about an hour away. They were recruited and committed to Big Ten programs early in high school, but they also knew each other from camps and workouts.
On Saturday night, McCarthy leads the second-ranked Wolverines (5-0) into Huntington Bank Stadium as one of the best quarterbacks in the country on a quest to win a national title.
Kaliakmanis enters the matchup trying to help the Gophers (3-2) find their groove while he grows into their offensive leader in his first year as a full-time starter.
"I have a ton of respect for J.J.," said Kaliakmanis, a redshirt sophomore. "I'm really happy for him and what he's done at [Michigan] there. I think he's a great player."
Gophers QB Kaliakmanis and Michigan's McCarthy go way back to Illinois
The Gophers' game vs. No. 2 Michigan on Saturday night will pit two quarterbacks who were ranked as the best signal callers from Illinois in the class of 2021.
Go Gophers!!