Husky Starting Quarterback Decision Coming in a Week
Jimmy Lake waited until the very last moment to reveal the winner of his four-man University of Washington quarterback competition in 2020, keeping everyone in suspense until sending Dylan Morris out for the first series against Oregon State in the opener.
Kalen DeBoer will reveal his choice from his three-player sweepstakes in a week. He'll give the starter roughly 12 days to assume total control of the Husky offense. He'll similarly let the UW fan base have just shy of two weeks to digest the decision.
"I think we'll just roll with it," the new UW coach said of naming someone before the Sept. 3 season opener against Kent State. "You could say there's a competitive advantage, but I don't even like the distraction. In my mind, we'll probably release it."
DeBoer will choose from among Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr., returning two-year Husky starter Morris and Apple Cup starter Sam Huard.
The current competition will resume for four more practices this week and a second scrimmage held next Saturday before the coaching staff settles on someone.
Penix would appear to be the leader because he's run the newly installed conference before, is more of a dual-threat player and has a long list of Big Ten accomplishments.
However, DeBoer's staff, which includes four coaches who have served as Power 5 offensive coordinators, has a reputation for getting quarterbacks ready to play.
See Jake Haener, Fresno State.
UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and DeBoer worked for two seasons with Haener, the former Husky quarterback and now considered one of the nation's leading players at the position, and are credited with getting him ready to play.
For the past two seasons at Indiana, Penix answered to Hoosiers offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, now the UW tight-ends coach, and the quarterback worked with DeBoer as his Indiana offensive coordinator for a single season in 2019.
The other coach on this Husky staff with past offensive coordinator credentials is JaMarcus Shephard, who shared the job at Purdue in 2018-21.
Morris and Huard, a sophomore and a redshirt freshman, stand to benefit in the long run from the teachings of the new offensive staff, if not much sooner, after answering to departed offensive coordinator John Donovan last season.
Donovan, of course, was fired by the UW during last season after nine games and now works as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers ... as a defensive coach.
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