It’s Nov. 28, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. The Hoosiers are looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Ohio State from a week earlier.
In the middle of leading Indiana on a touchdown drive midway through the third quarter, Hoosiers QB Michael Penix Jr. had to come out following a 21-yard run. After the run, Penix immediately goes down and shouts in pain.
Hoosier fans’ worst fears are realized as the injury turns out to be a torn ACL – Penix’s second of his college career.
Penix would return to Indiana in 2021, but he didn’t look the same in the five games he played, throwing 4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He produced the lowest quarterback rating of his career (51.1) that fall. A sprained AC joint against Penn State shut his season down yet again.
After this, Penix said that he “seriously considered quitting football” and no one could blame him after all of the injuries he that he suffered. And after all, who would take a chance on a QB who suffered 3 season-ending injuries in all 3 of his seasons as a starter and looked to be on the decline?
Washington’s new head coach Kalen Deboer would. Penix transferred to Washington on Dec. 14, 2021. Deboer had connections to Penix after serving as Indiana’s QB coach and offensive coordinator in the 2019 season.
The decision by Deboer ended up paying off. Big time.
In 2022, Penix played his first full season in college. He also had his best season, with 31 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. He added 4 touchdowns on the ground, posting an 81.1 QBR.
This season, Penix has looked even better. Through eight games, he has thrown for 24 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions and posted an 82.7 QBR.
In doing so, he has helped lead Washington to an 8-0 record. Penix has the team in prime position to make the College Football Playoffs.
Bet MGM has Penix as the slight leader in the Heisman odds at +275. Many other major sportsbooks have him as the leader as well, ever so slightly over JJ McCarthy of Michigan, Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State and Jayden Daniels of LSU.
Penix’s play has also gained the attention of NFL scouts. His style seems suited for the pros. He throws the best deep ball in the nation and has an arm that can make all the passes. He’s also a fast processor, avoids turnovers, has good eye manipulation and possesses good pocket presence.
This has led Penix to be considered a first-round pick and a top three quarterback by a lot of pundits in their mock drafts.
Penix and Washington take on the top QB in the country, Caleb Williams, and the USC Trojans this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
