UW Fresh Start (No. 9): Morris Won't Roll Over and Easily Give Up QB Job

No University of Washington football player was more maligned by the fan base last season than quarterback Dylan Morris, then a redshirt freshman.

It mattered to no one that he previously had engineered one of the greatest comebacks in program history in 2020, beating Utah with a touchdown pass with 36 seconds left to erase a 21-0 halftime deficit.

Or defeated Stanford in Palo Alto last season with a scoring pass with 21 seconds remaining.

Or overcame a 16-7 deficit to topple Arizona last October with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives, the last coming with 6:46 to play.

Or that he was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection following his first season as a starter.

None of that registered, only that the Huskies had done an ignominious face-plant with a tepid 4-8 season in 2021 and, in the minds of many, it was all Morris' fault.

Now a lot of guys after hearing or reading all that abuse — see Taki Taimani — would have packed up their stuff and headed for the transfer portal.

Not Morris.

Others would have noted the veiled efforts to replace him — first with Sam Huard in the Apple Cup and then with Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. from a portal pick-up — and said goodbye to Montlake.

Not Morris.

Like him or not, the guy known as D-Mo is a competitor and not easily run off.

Hey, the Husky QB job was his for two seasons so why should he make it easy for people to take it from him?

Dylan Morris last started at Colorado.

Dylan Morris shovels the ball to Cam Davis at Arizona.

Dylan Morris pays heed to a positive play.

Sean McGrew and Dylan Morris review the Stanford win.

Dylan Morris stands in the picket against UCLA.

Against Cal, Dylan Morris helped the Huskies win in overtime.

New Husky leader Kalen DeBoer recently disclosed how limited video footage exists for some of the Husky players he inherited, making it difficult for the new head coach and his staff to adequately assess all of the returning talent, though he should have plenty on Morris.

Less than two months to spring practice, we're offering any insight we might have about the UW personnel at hand in a series of stories on every scholarship player from No. 0 to 99. We'll review each Husky's starting experience, if applicable, and determine what comes next.

As is the case with any coaching change, it's a new football beginning for everyone, and that includes for the Huskies' No. 9.

Did we mention that Penix Jr. wore No. 9 for four seasons for his Big Ten team?

We're betting that Morris makes him wear another Husky jersey digit.

Of course, it's that competitor in him.

As for the quarterback job, here's wondering if DeBoer and staff can turn Morris into another Jake Haener?

They're comparable in size. Similar in grit. Proud guys. Haener had one really bad interception for the Huskies before he left for Fresno State while Morris had a league-leading 12 of them last fall.

Morris comes off a season in which he completed 220 of 363 passes, or 60.6 percent, for 2,458 yards and 14 touchdowns. Reasonable numbers.

The key stat for him, however, was just four victories. His Huskies lost six times by three to 10 points. They had trouble winning the close games against the tougher teams on the schedule.

And, as Morris well knows, any UW quarterback who doesn't win enough is going to hear about it until he does.

UW Starter or Not: Morris has 15 starts (7-8 record) over two seasons. He's experienced. Just a sophomore, he has three seasons of eligibility remaining at the UW. Michael Penix Jr., a guy with a lot of big performances on his ledger, seemingly was brought in to set the tone for Husky quarterback play and should be first up next season. Huard, of course, was a 5-star recruit for a reason. Yet to think that a newly polished Morris under the guidance of the quarterback-friendly DeBoer regime won't start or play again in his time at the UW would be foolhardy.

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