Michael Penix Jr., Indiana Hoosiers.
The Washington Huskies start spring practice on March 30, culminating with the spring intrasquad game on April 30. It’s the last chance to make an impression until late summer.
One of the biggest questions facing the Huskies is who will win the starting quarterback spot. Will it be Michael Penix Jr., a fifth-year transfer from Indiana; Sam Huard a 2021 five-star recruit billed as the next big thing, or Dylan Morris, Washington’s starting quarterback from the last two years.
Right now Penix. has the edge for the starting quarterback position. That’s because new Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer was Penix’’s offensive coordinator before leaving for Fresno State.
The familiarity between QB and coach and knowledge of his offensive system gives Penix an edge. He’s very talented but also very injury prone.
He only played 20 games in four seasons at IU. In his first season at Indiana in 2018, Penix only played in three games so he redshirted as a freshman in 2019. The next three seasons MPJ never played in more than six games in any single one. Though playing limited action Penix threw for 4,197 yards four seasons along with 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Staying healthy will be the key for Penix to not only earn but keep the starting job. In that situation. Huard and Morris will need to be ready to step in anytime. It’s good that the Huskies have that quality depth at quarterback.
Dylan Morris started 15 of the Washington Huskies’ last 16 games in 2020 and 2021. His career at UW began as the surprise starter to open the 2020 season. Even though COVID shortened the season to four games, Morris was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
Too bad Morris wasn’t able to do the same in 2021, though much of it was out of his control. Ironically, in both seasons he completed 61 percent of his passes. His yardage per game wasn’t much different either; 224.3 yards in 2020 compared to 223.5 in 2021.
Morris had three interceptions in the four games of 2020 but increased to 12 in 2021. Much of his ineffectiveness happened because of a breakdown in the offense which was evident when he tried to run the ball. In 2020, Morris ran 17 times for 57 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up with 46 attempts for a negative 25 yards and only three touchdowns in 2021.
Last season was a disappointment on all sides. It was such a disaster that after losing to Oregon on November 6, UW offensive coordinator John Donovan got his walking papers. Shortly after, head coach Jimmy Lake was suspended and ultimately fired for shoving a player.
If the offense struggled because of Morris, Donovan, Lake, a bad line, or a combination of all of the above it’s irrelevant. Last year is over. Spring camp brings a change in offense. Hopefully, Morris gets a fair chance to compete and his confidence returns whether he is the starter or not.
Sam Huard played in four games for the Washington Huskies in 2021, most notable was the Apple Cup. It was the only game he started and it didn’t go over well. He completed 17 of 31 for 190 yards, had four interceptions, and was sacked another four times. On the bright side, Huard threw a touchdown to Rome Odunze.
Why Interim Head Coach Bob Gregory played a freshman against the school’s biggest rival to end the season remains a mystery. Hopefully, his confidence didn’t get too rattled. Before coming to Washington, Huard broke the state of Washington high school passing records while at Kennedy Catholic.
He’ll see some action in 2022 even if he doesn’t start. The Huskies begin the season on September 3 against Kent State, followed by Portland State and Michigan State over the next two weeks. Whoever the backups are will see action in the first two games.
Depending on who wins the starting quarterback position, he might not keep the job for not only 2022 but could be the main man in 2023 as well. This won’t be an easy decision for the coaching staff. All three candidates are talented and could see some game action in 2022. Eventually, it comes down to which quarterback can run DeBoer’s system the best.
Go Dawgs!
Which quarterback do you think will emerge as the Washington Huskies starter? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.