As Huard Hype Increases, Wonder What Dylan Morris is Thinking?

Roughly two weeks from the revival of spring practice, the persistent buzz around the University of Washington football team is the impending arrival of Sam Huard.

Five-star quarterback. Legacy Husky. Can't-miss freshman.

It's almost as if a large segment of the UW fan base fully expects the waters of Lake Washington to part and Huard to be installed as QB-1 from the moment he steps into his first huddle.

After all, the kid has thrown 13 touchdown passes in two high school games this month.

There's just one problem with all that.

The Huskies already have a starting quarterback.

Dylan Morris.

One-time 4-star recruit. Four-game starter. Mistake-free leader.

Can you say incumbent?

With all of the giddiness expressed over the new guy, one has to wonder what the old one is feeling.

Unappreciated?

Mistreated?

Invisible?

Early efforts to solicit feedback from the 6-foot sophomore quarterback about this were rebuffed.

Even as a single-season starter entering his third year in the program, Morris hasn't interacted with the media yet as a Husky football player.

Typically this is done to take the pressure off the younger guys thrust into a big-time environment and to properly educate them so they don't say something dumb.

Or too revealing.

That said, Morris must be more than a little put off by how people perceive him and the QB battle.

Some pointedly expect him to roll over and cough up the job.

Morris, of course, has heard this before.

Most reporters and fans expressed outward surprise when the Graham, Washington, product won the UW job last November.

They didn't think he had it in him.

People assumed the starter would be grad transfer Kevin Thomson.

Or holdover Jacob Sirmon.

Sources close to the situation suggested that Thomson, a newcomer from Sacramento State, was out in front of the four-player Husky competition when he got hurt shortly before the opener.

That didn't go over well with the Morris inner circle.

Dylan had the job all along was the message passed along.

Many fans want to believe that Huard will supplant Morris as the starter.

Do what true freshman Jake Browning did back in 2015 to upperclassman K.J. Carta-Samuels, who later transferred to Colorado State.

Morris will have Sam Huard and Patrick O'Brien, a transfer from Colorado State (and the player to be named later in the Carta Samuels trade?), behind him on the depth chart when everything unfolds on April 7.

Will he be better than ever, motivated by disloyal fans?

Or press and struggle, knowing he's not the popular choice with the entire fan base?

Huard follows his father Damon and uncle Brock into the program.

Both were highly regarded quarterbacks.

Both Huards redshirted as freshmen.

Is Sam a more immediate presence than his relatives?

Spring ball, thankfully back after a one-year absence, will provide answers.

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven

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