Damon Huard makes Heisman case for UW Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr.

As the finalists for the 2023 Heisman Trophy are set to be revealed during pregame for Monday Night Football, former UW Huskies quarterback Damon Huard told his brother Brock on Seattle Sports that he believes Washington gunslinger Michael Penix Jr. should be alone at the top of the list.

Heisman Trophy: UW Huskies’ Michael Penix Jr. among four finalists

“I’m going with ‘What has this guy meant to his team over the course of the last two years?'” Damon said as he guest co-hosted Brock and Salk on Monday morning. “Michael Penix has won so many football games. Only lost two – 13-0 this year. I think he just finds a way to win each week with his group of guys.”

Heisman hopeful Penix has put up 4,218 passing yards and 36 total TDs against nine interceptions for the undefeated UW Huskies. A projected first-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft, Penix led UW to a win over WSU in the 2023 Apple Cup before winning Friday’s Pac-12 Championship against Oregon 34-31. The victory over the Ducks clinched the school a No. 2 national ranking in the College Football Playoff.

“Now, look, I know (LSU’s) Jayden Daniels is probably going to win this thing because of his numbers, some of his stats with college history, but his football team is 9-3,” Damon continued. “But Michael Penix is a champion. He’s won. Do the math. He’s 24-2 over the course of two years, 20 (wins) in a row. Let’s look at that body of work.”

Daniels’ statistics at LSU this year are jaw-dropping – 3,812 passing yards alongside 1,134 rushing yards, 40 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs and just five total turnovers. He’s averaged 11.7 yards per pass attempt and countered that with 8.4 yards per carry on the ground. He was also both LSU’s leading rusher and the leading quarterback in rushing yards this season.

Daniels was the co-favorite for the Heisman Award before last weekend, paired with Oregon’s Bo Nix. After Nix came up short against UW in the Pac-12 championship game, Daniels has taken sole possession as the odds-on favorite.

“No one has Bo? Where’s the Bo Nix’s love? No more, I’m done,” Damon said. “The text I got when you Brock called that (Oregon-Oregon State) game: No more!”

Damon Huard: Why No. 2 UW got the best path to national title in CFP

Once the Heisman finalists are announced Monday night, the ceremony for the prestigious award – which Brock Huard, a FOX college football analyst, has a vote for – will be held this Saturday.

“When the show ends, I’m going to go to my email,” Brock said. “It’s a very sophisticated email from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. It’s about nine different little chambers that I got to jump through and hoops to jump through in order to get my Heisman ballot in, and on this Heisman ballot, I vote for first place, second place and third place.”

Damon Huard then shared his official suggestion for the Heisman voting.

“Michael Penix No. 1, Jayden Daniels No. 2 and Bo Nix a distant third after getting your butt kicked in Vegas,” Damon said.

LSU’s Heisman-promoting billboard intended for Seattle lands in Tukwila

UW will spend its December prepping for its first College Football Playoff game since 2016, taking on No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The ESPN Radio broadcast will air live on Seattle Sports.

Listen to Blue 88 from Monday’s Brock and Salk in the final segment of the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

MORE ON THE UW HUSKIES

• Here we go again: How are UW Huskies underdogs in Sugar Bowl?
• Pac-12 ends on high note, but future is daunting for WSU and OSU
• CFP is set: No. 2 UW Huskies get No. 3 Texas in Sugar Bowl