Heaps: What arrival of QB Michael Penix Jr. means for UW Huskies
Dec 14, 2021, 3:38 PM
Michael Penix Jr. of the Indiana Hoosiers throws before a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The UW Huskies made a splash on Tuesday as former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. announced that he will be transferring to Washington to play for new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Former Indiana QB Penix Jr. transfers to UW, rejoins DeBoer
DeBoer was Penix’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana in 2019, which was DeBoer’s lone year with the Hoosiers before he was named head coach at Fresno State.
That 2019 season under DeBoer was Penix’s best year with the Hoosiers. In six starts before his 2019 season ended with an injury, Penix completed over 68% of his passes for just under 1,400 yards and 10 touchdown passes. He also rushed for two scores while leading Indiana to a 5-1 record in those six starts.
The UW Huskies now have Penix, two-year starter Dylan Morris and highly-touted redshirt-freshman Sam Huard slated to be in the quarterback room in 2022.
What does Penix’s arrival mean for that position group? Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps shared his thoughts during Tuesday’s edition of Jake and Stacy on 710 ESPN Seattle.
“It makes it unique, that’s for sure,” Heaps said. “And I don’t think Michael Penix Jr. automatically becomes a starter in this situation.”
Despite having success under DeBoer’s system, Heaps said that Penix didn’t have an “out of this world” performance that should make him the unquestioned starter heading into 2022.
“Certainly he’ll have a leg up in the competition, knowing Kalen DeBoer, knowing that system, knowing the way that (DeBoer) likes to play, and he’ll be a veteran, he’ll be a guy coming in who’s experienced,” Heaps said. “So he adds to the competition for a group of talented young players with Sam Huard and Dylan Morris and we’ll see how it plays out. But it makes a ton of sense as to why Penix Jr. would be interested in going to Washington, why Kalen DeBoer would want him at the University of Washington and we’ll just have to wait and see how this how this competition plays out.”
Listen to the second hour of Tuesday’s Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.
