What if you received a text from Peyton Manning? Would you question if it’s real or a prank, similar to those political texts from former presidents? Well, 21-year-old Michigan quarterback prospect J.J. McCarthy had such an experience when he received a text from the NFL Hall of Famer. Initially, he doubted it was truly Manning, but after a follow-up text, he realized it was indeed the former Denver Broncos quarterback reaching out to congratulate him. Manning explained on 104.3 The Fan’s Stokley and Josh show that McCarthy had thought it was a prank initially, but after confirming Manning’s identity, they had a productive conversation.

Manning led Tennessee to wins in the Citrus Bowl and a Gator Bowl victory during his college years before being the top pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Colts. Meanwhile, McCarthy had notable success at Michigan, guiding them to a national championship win recently.

In the championship game, McCarthy’s performance was not outstanding as he completed 10 out of 18 passes for 140 yards without any touchdowns. The Wolverines heavily relied on their rushing game, scoring four touchdowns on the ground. Throughout the season, McCarthy threw for close to 3,000 yards with 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions, culminating in a perfect 15-0 record for Michigan. Despite this, he only finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting, contrasting with Manning’s second-place finish in 1997.

There appears to be a budding connection between the two quarterbacks, with a possibility of McCarthy joining Manning in Denver. Manning mentioned that Denver is keen on McCarthy, and it seems like a place the young player would be interested in, although ultimately the decision is not entirely up to him.

Denver’s chances of securing McCarthy have diminished as his stock has risen leading up to the NFL Draft, with reports suggesting that Bo Nix may be Denver’s choice at No. 12 according to ESPN.