Joel Klatt slams those who didn't think Michael Penix Jr. was in Heisman conversation with Jayden Daniels

Joel Klatt has been one of the biggest defenders of Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. during the season. Now, the day after he led the Huskies to a national championship appearance, Klatt has gone on the offensive for the player he voted as this season’s Heisman winner.

Klatt praised Penix Jr. following his performance in the 37-31 win for Washington over Texas in the Sugar Bowl. He saw the star he has consistently considered him to be in New Orleans last night as he made all the throws he needed to against the Longhorns.

“Michael Penix is that dude at quarterback. That guy is really good,” said Klatt. “I’m happy for him that he went out there and played the way that he has for the majority of the last two seasons.”

“You see the throws that he makes? We’ve broken it down on this show. If you’re listening to this show, you’ve heard me talk about this guy and how well he passes the football. Not throws the football – passes the football,” Klatt explained. “Great leverage, timing, his ability to manipulate the pocket – all of it. It’s so good. His game translates to the next level. He has been as good of a quarterback in college football as there has been over the last two years.”

Penix Jr. went 29-38 (76.3%) overall inside Caesars Superdome for 430 yards, his third-highest total of the season. Those led to a pair of Husky touchdowns to Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan. He also had a season-high of 31 yards on the night in the six-point victory.

With that, Klattt turned his attention to Penix Jr.’s doubter, specifically those that had opinions during the race for the Heisman. Based on a lot of the reaction on Monday, he said it was fairly obvious that many, even those in the media, hadn’t been keeping up with him in Seattle. That’s why, while trying to take nothing away from Jayden Daniels, he had some choice words for those who wouldn’t even hear Penix Jr.’s case.

“In a lot of ways, it was his introduction to some people around the country,” said Klatt. “It’s abundantly clear, to me, that there are a lot of people that didn’t watch this guy play.”

“It was heresy to even suggest that Michael Penix could, in any way, be in the conversation for The Heisman Trophy. Don’t you realize that those people, and you know exactly who you are, that said that it was not a conversation between Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix are the same people that didn’t watch Michael Penix play? Because he has been doing this forever,” Klatt continued. “He did it all year. He did it for a team that was desperate to have him play that way because they played so many tight football games. It’s abundantly clear watching people be, like, ‘Oh, man! Penix, I guess, should have been considered for the Heisman.’ You think? He wasn’t padding stats against Grambling and Georgia State!”

“Listen, all due respect to Jayden Daniels, who was a phenomenal player this year. But the notion that it was not a conversation between Penix and Daniels is ridiculous. It shows obscene bias by those that would suggest as such.”

Penix Jr. has proven himself time and again this fall during his sixth collegiate season. Now, with one game to go, he can further justify his case as a historic quarterback with a final performance that puts Klatt’s points in bold.

“What we saw against Texas was a clinic from Michael Penix,” said Klatt. “This guy can play, man. He can flat-out spin the rock.

“That whole game? I’m just sitting there and I’m like, ‘Okay?’ These guys in our business? Which is wild. Even to bring up the notion that it was a conversation, a debate between Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix, to them, was just, like, obscene. It was crazy,” Klatt said. “It’s like, ‘Okay? Well, you haven’t watched’ obviously. You saw some of that ‘surprise’ from folks on Monday night.”