The Washington Huskies, led by Michael Penix Jr., are one victory away from finishing with the greatest season in school history. With a record of 14-0, a Pac-12 title, and a College Football Playoff semifinal victory over the Texas Longhorns under their belt, defeating the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Monday, January 8th in Houston, Texas, is the only thing standing in their way of college football immortality. Penix was almost flawless against Texas, so even if the Huskies prevail and he plays even better, there’s still no assurance that one of the most successful college quarterbacks in the last ten years will even be on the draft boards of any NFL teams come April.
“He is not going to be on our board.” We’re going to sub-board him because that medical is going to be so horrible. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, “the only way we’ll touch him is when there’s no risk,” which is a feeling he’s seen expressed throughout the NFL.
Robinson makes reference to Penix’s medical history, which would fill a high school textbook: Penix had an AC separation in his throwing shoulder in 2021, a ruptured right ACL in 2018, a dislocated SC joint in his non-throwing shoulder in 2019, and another torn right ACL in 2020.
Even though Penix acknowledged there were moments when he thought about giving up football, he is still standing, still competing, and still delivering one of the most beautiful and accurate passes you will ever see from a collegiate quarterback. Any other normal person would have given up at this point. Michael Penix Jr. ought to be playing in the NFL soon, regardless of whether teams have to shell out money for one of those mechanical knee braces Alfred fitted Bruce Wayne for in The Dark Knight Rises. The quarterback for the Washington Huskies is a real talent.
Penix should have won the Heisman Trophy, as I stated in December, and I still envision him lifting the College Football Playoff championship trophy on January 8.
