Husky Roster Review: Penix Takes Aim at Back-To-Back UW Greatness

Quarterback tries to buck an unsettling program trend in Montlake.

At the University of Washington, one of the maddening trends for a quarterback is to have a sensational season early in his career and then try to top it.

For whatever reason, it just doesn't happen. 

While plenty of guys such as Warren Moon and Marques Tuiasosopo progressively got better as Huskies, by turning modest numbers in great ones as seniors, countless others were highly productive ahead of their time and could never repeat it. 

Bob Schloredt was a Rose Bowl MVP and a Heisman Trophy candidate when he returned for his senior season in 1960, broke his collarbone playing defense against UCLA and missed half the season. Yes, he did win another Rose Bowl MVP, but sat and watched for the longest time.

Sonny Sixkiller led the nation in passing as a sophomore and then dealt with injury-filled seasons and unfulfilled expectations in 1971 and 1972.

All-American quarterback Don Heinrich led the Huskies to an 8-2 season and Rose Bowl near-miss in 1951 alongside legendary running back Hugh McElhenny, and broke his collarbone in fall practice, missed the following season and never played with McElhenny again.

Mark Brunell was the 1991 Rose Bowl MVP and the chief architect of a 10-2 season, and he blew out a knee during the following spring football practice and wasn't the same again in Montlake, though he got back on track as a pro.

Jake Locker passed for 2,062 yards and 14 touchdowns, ran for 986 yards and 13 scores and was named 2007 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, then broke his thumb the next season and never approached those overall total offensive numbers again.

Billy Joe Hobert guided the Huskies to a perfect 12-0 season and 1991 co-national championship as a sophomore, and then got kicked off the team the next year and had to settle for sophomore memories.

As a sophomore in 2016, Jake Browning threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns in guiding the UW to the College Football Playoff against Alabama, and then saw his numbers dip significantly to 2,719 yards and 19 scores the following season, and his TD passes drop all the way to 16 as a senior.

All right, Michael Penix Jr. what do you have in our next go-round?

Granted, Penix understands all about bad luck, enduring four season-ending injuries at Indiana before coming to the UW, changing that all around and enjoying a full, record-breaking season. 

Yet can you top it?

Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Penix, who wears No. 9 on offense, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.

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HUSKY HOME / Skylar Lin Visuals

In one UW season, Michael Penix Jr. stayed healthy for the entire schedule, unlike at Indiana, and exceeded nearly all of his passing numbers in the Big Ten.

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SPRING TRAINING / Skylar Lin Visuals

Going through his second UW spring ball, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. looked as sharp as ever in throwing the ball and running the offense. 

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NINE LIVES / Skylar Lin Visuals

Michael Penix Jr. wears No. 9 for the Huskies after negotiating for it from his back-up, Dylan Morris. 

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DELIVERING THE GOODS / Skylar Lin Visuals

Michael Penix Jr. hands the ball to junior running back Cam Davis, who appears to be the leader for the starting job at his rushing position. 

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SECRET HANDSHAKES / Skylar Lin Visuals

Michael Penix Jr. and his chief protector Troy Fautanu offer different messages to the camera of Skylar Lin on the final day of spring ball. 

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THROWS LEFTY / Skylar Lin Visuals

Michael Penix Jr. has been one of those rare left-handed starting quarterbacks at the UW, coming to the program following guys like Brock Huard and Mark Brunell. 

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MASS OF HUMANITY / Skylar Lin Visuals

Michael Penix Jr. looks for a play call from the sideline while his teammates huddle up in spring practice. 

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DEEP SIX / Skylar Lin Visuals

In the final spring practice, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. signals touchdown after handing off and watching a teammate disappear among the big bodies.  

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QUALITY CONTROL / Skylar Lin Visuals

Coach Kalen DeBoer watches his quarterback Michael Penix Jr. launch one upfield during spring football practice in April. 

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Even if Penix stays totally healthy this coming season, it will be a lot to ask him to exceed his school-record 4,641 passing yards and wieldy 31 touchdown passes. 

What this will require for the Tampa, Florida, native is to take one of the most dominant passing seasons by any UW quarterback in the history of the school — and be even more dominant.

By now, people know better than to never say never with Penix, who came back each time from his string of incredible misfortune with his Big Ten team and showed up the following season every time. 

In Montlake, he turned the corner and played an entire 13-game season for the Huskies — in fact, he exceeded six outings for the first time in a season — and absolutely flourished.

Only Arizona State roughed him up a little, hitting him in the throat, leaving him crumpled on the field and making him exit the field for a play, before Penix trotted back to the huddle.

Again, the target numbers for him to blow past this coming season are 4,641 passing yards and 31 TD throws. 

Considering the UW's backlog of quarterback misfires, can Penix be that guy who has a season for the ages and then does it again?

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MICHAEL PENIX JR. FILE

Service: Penix appeared in 17 games for Indiana over four seasons, 14 as a starter, and 13 for Washington last fall, all as the No. 1 guy. He has a 22-5 win-loss record as a starting college quarterback.

Stats: In one season in Montlake, Penix surpassed all of his career passing numbers at Indiana with the exception of attempts. For the Hoosiers, he was 342 for 576 for 4,197 yards and 29 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions, in four seasons. At the UW in 2022, he completed 362 of 554 attempts for 4,641 yards and 31 scores, with 8 picks. His college totals: 704 for 1,130 attempts for 8,838 yards and 60 touchdowns, with 23 interceptions.

Role: Penix is the returning starter, a Heisman Trophy candidate and a good bet to be a first-round draft pick. Unlike in Bloomington, Indiana, with all of his knee and shoulder mishaps, Penix has found Seattle to be almost like a therapeutic hot springs. 

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