Penix Shows Off Pinpoint Arm in UW Practice No. 2

In the hour of University of Washington spring football practice made available for media viewing, wide receivers jumped over and around huge balls rolled out in front of them as obstacles.

Cornerbacks were forced to stay low while moving side to side beneath a large frame on wheels that easily could have doubled as a kids' backyard trampoline.

Offensive lineman took off running, laid out and smacked into tire-like pads to presumably replicate pancake blocks.

And then there was Michael Penix Jr.

Amid all of the creative teaching techniques introduced by new coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff, the Huskies paused briefly to run a pair of scrimmage sets. Penix, the Indiana transfer, came up with something basic and electric.

On his second play, Penix straightened up and hit Rome Odunze streaking up the right sideline with a pinpoint 50-yard touchdown pass, easily beating veteran cornerback Mishael Powell.

Husky players let out a roar. Odunze tried to jump out of the stadium chest-bumping teammates. Penix, the 2020 second-team All-Big Ten QB, acted as if it was no big deal.

That the play was all so effortless made it surprising. Instant offense. Automatic points.

While sharing snaps with UW returnees Dylan Morris and Sam Huard early on, Penix has shown that he throws the best deep ball. He doesn't miss the green much. His tight spirals travel a long way.

The three quarterbacks will share everything over the first four practices, with two workouts in the books. DeBoer next will encourage someone to step forward and take the lead in the competition.

Backs Need Back-Ups

The Husky running backs are so few it's almost hard to find them when surveying all of the position groups engaged in drills throughout the stadium. Currently, only five of them are in uniform and just four are available to take part in everything — scholarship players Jay'Veon Sunday and Aaron Dumas, and walk-ons Cam Sirmon and Gabe Nelson, plus scholarship back Sam Adams II, who wears a yellow shirt and is a restricted participant.

Veterans Richard Newton and Cam Davis, and presumably redshirt freshman Emeka Megwa, have been ruled out of spring practice while recovering from injuries.

Caleb Berry, another redshirt freshman runner, tweeted out that he's absent because he has COVID-19.

Odds and Ends

During stretching, new strength and conditioning coach Ron McKeefery paces around and barks out a cadence not unlike Louis Gossett Jr. in the film "Officer and a Gentleman."

Dumas, the New Mexico transfer, appears a lot faster in person than he does on film and catches the ball as well as the wide receivers.

Edge rusher Jordan Lolohea is bouncing between his position group and the defensive linemen during practice.

Not much escapes DeBoer, whose attention to detail is reminiscent of the better UW coaches. He's also a player's coach, moving from player to player with a comment or a fist bump.

Ferndale High offensive lineman Landon Hatchett, nationally recruited like his brother Geirean, a Husky center, must have the UW high on his list. He's come out for both practices.

Tight end signee Ryan Otton, Cade's brother, attended Friday's practice among a handful of recruits and will join the team for fall camp in August.

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