Multiple quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams was picked No. 1 by the Chicago Bears, while LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye went No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. In the weeks leading up to the draft, a familiar name gained steam in mock drafts: Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy is coming off a season where he threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns en route to the Wolverines' first national championship since 1997.
The Minnesota Vikings selected McCarthy at No. 11 and he joined a small group of quarterbacks that came off a national title and were picked in the first round of the immediate upcoming draft.
Here's a look at the names that McCarthy joins -- since the BCS era started in 1998.
Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Draft: 2021 Pick: No. 15
After guiding the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 13-0 season, Jones became the fourth Crimson Tide player to be drafted in the 2021 first round.
He was coming off a national championship game where he threw for 464 yards and five touchdowns. Jones had a career year as a junior, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
He made the Pro Bowl in his first season as the Patriots made the playoffs with a 10-7 record. But Jones has struggled to find his footing since, throwing nearly as many touchdowns (24) as interceptions (23) in the past two seasons. The Patriots dealt him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2024.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Draft: 2020 Pick: No. 1
Burrow's final season with LSU is among the greatest for a quarterback in college football history. His 5,671 passing yards are the fourth most in FBS history, while his 60 passing touchdowns comes in second. He threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns in the national championship game.
Burrow's Heisman Trophy victory holds multiple records, too: largest margin of victory (1,846), most ballots named as a percentage of total ballots (95.47%) and most points as a percentage of possible points (93.8%).
The Bengals left no room for doubt, drafting Burrow with the top pick.
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Draft: 2017 Pick: No. 12
Watson had a key role in the Clemson Tigers ending their 35-year national championship drought.
He accounted for 5,222 total yards and 50 touchdowns as Clemson finished 14-1. Against Alabama in the national title game, Watson had 483 total yards and four touchdowns.
The Texans selected Watson at No. 12 after trading up from No. 25.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Draft: 2011 Pick: No. 1
Newton did it all in his final season with the Auburn Tigers.
Newton became the third Auburn player to win the Heisman Trophy, earning 729 first-place votes, then the fourth most all-time. He had 4,327 total yards and 50 touchdowns, including 20 scores on the ground. He also threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the national title game.
Carolina drafted Newton with its top pick, making the quarterback the first reigning Heisman winner to go No. 1 since Carson Palmer in 2003.
Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
Draft: 2006 Pick: No. 3
There arguably couldn't have been a better time for Young to enter the draft.
Young's memorable Rose Bowl performance propelled the Texas Longhorns over USC, snapping the Trojans' 34-game winning streak. He had 467 total yards and three touchdowns, including a rushing touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
Young left Texas with a 30-2 record as quarterback -- the best at his position in program history -- and the only player to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a single season. The Titans made him the first quarterback taken off the board in 2006.