Amid UW Player Shuffle, At Least QB Room Is Well Stocked
Kalen DeBoer's first order of business as the new University of Washington football coach, if it isn't clear by now, was secure an experienced quarterback he could count on.
You can hire all of the clever coordinators and keep all the wide receivers in the world, but if a coach doesn't have a dependable signal-caller ready for the heat of the battle, none of the others matter.
That's why DeBoer at the outset boldly seemed to welcome the notion of Jake Haener joining him in Seattle rather than dismiss any suggestion his former Fresno State QB might transfer.
This is why he ultimately shored up this valuable position by welcoming Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr., a 2020 second-team All-Big Ten selection and someone he worked with the year before that in Bloomington, to the UW roster.
So while DeBoer must rebuild the Husky defense and install his spread offense in warp speed, he at least can find comfort in knowing he has a quarterback room well stocked with veterans in returning two-year starter Dylan Morris, one-time 5-star recruit Sam Huard and Penix.
That's three players at this position who have started college games, two who are left-handers and one who has had success in a conference markedly better than the Pac-12 right now.
The interesting thing is DeBoer, with Haener and Penix on his resume, is known as a great molder of quarterbacks, as someone whose staff makes these guys confident and flourish in his wide-open system.
So while Penix no doubt is eager to be reunited with his former Indiana offensive guru, Morris might picture himself ultimately becoming another Haener reclamation project under DeBoer's oversight.
After all, Haener left the UW in 2018 following a failed outing at California, one in which he inexplicably was inserted for Jake Browning, threw a game-deciding pick six and branded incapable, only to become a record-setting quarterback for Fresno State.
And Huard?
Following a wasted season with little hands-on direction, he rightfully can be groomed to become that All-Pac-12 quarterback and NFL player that has been his birthright for so long.
All three of these guys should enter next season expecting to be the Huskies' starting quarterback.
Sam Huard started the Apple Cup.
Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports
That wasn't the situation this past season with the UW's three-headed QB competition, where Colorado State transfer Michael O'Brien was never going to play much unless an emergency situation arose and Huard needed plenty of time to transition to the college game.
Three months from spring practice, the Huskies possess plenty of college quarterback starting experience in Penix (17 games), Morris (15) and Huard (1).
They have QBs tied to varying degrees of starting success, holding the following personal win-loss records: Penix (12-5), Morris (7-8) and Huard (0-1).
Penix has a 491-yard, 5-touchdown passing effort at Ohio State in a 42-35 defeat as a career highlight. Morris beat Utah and Stanford with clutch scoring passes inside the final 36 seconds of each game. Huard might be the only UW quarterback who has made his college starting debut in the Apple Cup.
Dylan Morris' last start was at Colorado.
Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
Each definitely needs a tune-up, with Penix coming off four season-ending injuries and a total Indiana team meltdown this past season (2-10), Morris leading the Pac-12 in interceptions (12) and dealing with a Husky meltdown (4-8), and Huard suffering through the UW's worst Apple Cup defeat ever (40-13) and an interception-filled opening outing (4).
There is much for DeBoer to fix in his new job, yet much to work with. All three quarterbacks should receive plenty of attention and opportunity throughout the spring, if not feel wanted and renewed.
Penix, based on his four seasons of Big Ten experience, might seem like the early leader. Huard, with all of his pedigree and potential, might just need a cool hand guiding him from the press box to ease him into the role. Morris, who people forget was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection in 2020, can't be counted out either.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Husky Maven stories as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated
Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
