The buzz surrounding Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy could turn out to be more than just pre-draft rumors, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“I would say the biggest surprise, even though it’s not necessarily a surprise because he’s gaining momentum, but just J.J. McCarthy. Teams really are sold on him,” Fowler said Friday on The Rich Eisen Show.

“I can’t tell you how many cases I had made for me as to why he’s going to go high,” Fowler continued. “Usually, teams are sort of hiding that.”

Fowler’s comments come around the 11-minute mark of the video above.

The ESPN reporter said the McCarthy buzz isn’t going to be like the excitement surrounding former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, who was hyped as a first-round pick before falling to No. 33 in the 2023 draft.

“I’ve had at least one team bring up, ‘Well, is that the case with McCarthy? Is this too good to be true, with some of this hype?'” Fowler said. “But then, I’ve heard from too many teams, they’re going to be shocked if he doesn’t go in the top six just because of all that he offers.”

Fowler said that excitement is in part because of McCarthy’s Pro Day performance, and also because teams he has spoken with see McCarthy’s limited throwing in college more as “a function of the Jim Harbaugh offense” than a reflection on his talent.

“He can do more than he showed, and I think teams recognize that,” Fowler said.

Fowler’s comments could add a further boost to McCarthy’s draft stock, which has been on the rise ever since his Pro Day and his receiving praise from Harbaugh, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

B/R NFL Scouts predict McCarthy will be selected with the No. 5 in the latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft.