Morris Embraces New UW Staff and Penix, Trying to Refine His Game
In this story:
Starting at quarterback for Washington, Dylan Morris.
OK, you can stop booing now. Muttering. Rolling your eyes.
We're talking about 2023.
What do you mean, not in your lifetime?
Yes, Morris quarterbacked the University of Washington football team to a dismal 4-8 record in 2021, led the Pac-12 in interceptions with a dozen that ended up in enemy hands and committed more than one miscue that led to a defensive touchdown, leaving everyone scratching their heads.
What people conveniently forget is Morris — who hears nothing but scorn and ridicule from a large faction of the fan base at the mere mention of his name — is currently enrolled in the Ryan Grubb School of Quarterbacking.
So if you're still bad-mouthing the 6-foot, 197-pound sophomore from Puyallup, Washington, who stands an inch shorter yet weighs two pounds more than former Husky teammate Jake Haener, another of his offensive coordinator's reclamation projects, only at Fresno State, then you're taking issue with Grubb's teaching abilities.
Dylan Morris hands the ball to Richard Newton against Portland State.
Skylar Lin Visuals
Or have you not noticed how much more comfortable and confident Morris has looked in his short stints running the Kalen DeBoer/Grubb spread offense this season?
He stood calmly in the pocket and threw for 15 yards on his solitary play against Arizona State, with starter Michael Penix Jr. briefly knocked out of the game, and everything still on the line in the fourth quarter.
Against Colorado, Morris pulled three offensive series and completed 4 of 7 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and rushed four times for 32 yards, looking noticeably efficient.
He's played in seven of the 11 UW games so far, sometimes only as a replacement holder simply to keep opponents guessing that he might do something other than hold.
DeBoer previously has praised Morris' arm strength. Grubb points to the former Husky starter's approach and resilience as strengths, especially since this quarterback didn't regain the No. 1 job he had held for two seasons once Penix transferred in from Indiana and became the nation's leading passer for a 9-2 team.
"Dylan's preparation, honestly, is second to nobody on this team,' the Husky offensive coordinator said. "He is as prepared as anybody on this football team. As far as getting in and executing the calls, he does a really good job."
Dylan Morris looks for a receiver in the season opener against Kent State.
Sklar Lin Visuals
While the Colorado game was well out hand by the time Morris entered the huddle midway through the third quarter, he got knocked around a bunch and hung in there.
"I think Dylan got hit more times than Mike has all year in like three series," Grubb said. "Two of the hits he took were on completions and I thought that said a lot about Dylan's toughness and really his confidence in the play that he was playing."
Rather than sulk or enter the transfer portal after his UW demotion, Morris has embraced the new coaching staff and its detailed approach to getting a quarterback ready to play, even while his reps have been maybe a fifth of what Penix receives in practice. Think Geno Smith, only shorter, in his quarterback renaissance.
Morris has taken full advantage of the opportunity to learn from the cool-under-pressure Penix, consulting with him at all times while re-learning his trade.
"It's actually really cool, and I wish more people could see it, the interaction between Dylan and Mike; whether it's at practice or in a game, just them talking back and forth about what they're seeing," Grubb said. "There's been growth in that room. Those two guys for sure have grown together."
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12
Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3
