Evaluating how Michael Penix Jr.’s game translates to NFL

At the halfway point of the 2023 college football season is the perfect time to talk about the best prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. Field Yates and company broke down the quarterback field during ESPN’s First Draft podcast, highlighting Washington QB Micheal Penix Jr., who came in No. 6 on Jordan Reid’s list of top 14 draft-eligible quarterbacks. 

“I think this is a great raking from Michael Penix Jr. to have him at six; he’s almost the start of that next tier for me,” fellow ESPN NFL Draft expert Matt Miller said. “Watching him play sometimes, you’re watching him in the pocket; it’s kind of this leaner body left-handed guy with this long delivery. And you’re like, this is not gonna work. But it works. I mean, he’s a playmaker. And his deep ball is a thing of beauty. And you mentioned his receivers (Jalen) McMillan and (Rome) Odunze. They’re fantastic. They really are, but sometimes the placement that he puts on passes is beautiful as well. 

“He’s probably the player that I feel like I hedge on the most right now because the injury history is the thing for me. It’s two ACLs, a clavicle injury, (and) a shoulder injury as well. He’s a little bit of an older prospect, a transfer from Indiana. Man, but you watch him play on Saturdays, and he just makes big-time throws after big-time throws. So, I’m excited to see him as we get into that conference schedule. I want to see him go toe to toe with Caleb Williams. I want to see him against Utah. Every game this year, he’s checked the box. And you can only play who is on your schedule, so I’m not going to discount him for that.” 

Penix Jr. has put up big numbers in the Huskies offense this season. The senior quarterback from Tampa has completed 74.7 percent of his past attempts for 1,999 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just two interceptions in his second season at Washington. Last year’s numbers are nothing to scoff at either, as he completed 65.3 percent of his past attempts with 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. But in the eyes of the experts, does the film match the production? 

“Yeah, it does,” said Reid. “I think of any of the quarterback prospects this year, he’s probably going to be one of the funnest to debate just because there’s going to be a wide array of opinions with him. Everybody knows about the injury history. … but a scout raised a great question to me. He said: ‘At what point are we going to give him credit for being able to overcome those injuries and basically looking like a brand new quarterback?’

“So I think it’s kind of similar to a Bo Nix situation where he’s been able to reinvent himself a little bit in this Washington offense. And of any quarterback in this class, he’s the one I’ve been rushing to get to the film on Sundays just because that Washington offense is fireworks.  

“With Michael Penix, he kind of has that Phillip Rivers 3/4 type of release a little bit,” Reid continued. “That’s kind of the best way that I can describe it. But we’re going to find out a lot about Michael Penix over the next five weeks. They have a bye week this week. But they come back, and they play Oregon, USC, and then also Utah and three of the next five games. So, I think that’s going to be really big for his evaluation moving forward.”

Washington and Penix still have a number of massive games left on their 2023 schedule. Following their Week 6 bye, the Huskies will host the Oregon Ducks in a likely matchup of top-10 Pac-12 programs. Furthermore, as of Week 6, Washington will finish this season squaring off against four more top-25 programs in USC, Utah, Oregon State, and in-state rival Washington State. If Penix Jr. has not done enough to convince the experts of his elite talent on the field yet, running the gauntlet and thrusting Washington into the Pac-12 title game.