MJ Morris adjusts to being new QB1
Some may have been surprised last week when NC State used a timeout just as the Pack was lining up to go into a victory formation against Virginia Tech. However, there was a reason for that. Freshman quarterback MJ Morris, depending on who you asked, either didn’t know how to run the formation or needed some clarifications.
From Morris’ perspective, the latter was true.
“I was just so excited that we were up, and I knew we just had to do our victory formation. Couple of things I forgot … I knew what it was, but I went over to the sideline and made sure everything was right,” Morris stated.
Morris’ kneel downs to cap off a rally from 21-3 down to defeat Virginia Tech, 22-21, ended an evening during which he went 20-of-29 passing for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns. That will earn Morris his first career start Saturday evening against Wake Forest, another game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.
Morris will become the first NC State true freshman to start at quarterback since potential NFL Hall of Famer Philip Rivers did so in 2000.
With such spotlight focus, Morris acknowledged, has come more recognition.
“It has changed a little bit,” he said. “Of course, I am getting a lot more notice now as a few more people know me around campus. I am trying to not let it get to my head. My parents always taught me to be humble, stay level-headed the whole time so I can just be the best I can.”
Part of Morris’ instant success can be traced back to his senior season at Carrollton (Ga.) High. That is when he was coached by Joey King after King had a two-year stint in college coaching. Prior to going to the collegiate ranks, King was the head coach at Cartersville (Ga.) High, where he and former Clemson All-American and No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Trevor Lawrence won a pair of state titles.
“I was trying to pick his brain every day I went in there,” Morris recalled. “I would get in there at 6 am, and we would do film for about two hours. When I came here, his offense wasn’t too much different than the one from high school, so I was able to process it quickly.”
Throw in the help and guidance that NC State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tim Beck and fifth-year redshirt junior starter Devin Leary, whom Morris called the “big brother that I never had,” provided him, and Morris noted, “I wasn’t just totally, totally confused when I got up here.”
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His next step, he believes, is becoming more of a vocal leader and continuing to get the game reps to help him see the defense and field better.
Then after football season, the former star centerfielder in baseball is still leaving open the door to potentially being a two-sport athlete in college. He noted his love for the diamond and how his father would like for him to try.
“It I get the opportunity, I am going to try it,” Morris noted.
The number he dons, No. 16, has a patch in honor of another former two-sport football and baseball star at NC State — Russell Wilson.
“I didn’t know,” Morris confessed. “I thought it was just a random number. Then I looked up on the stadium. It says, ’16 Russell Wilson.’ I was like, ‘Oh, snap.’”
Any career that remotely resembles Wilson’s will be a huge success, but for now, Morris is focusing on making simple progress.
“As long as I can do my job, get the ball to the receiver, read the right reads, I know we are going to be very successful,” Morris said.
