Washington quarterback Michael Penix will be one of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft. He’s flashed immense upside as a passer but his performance in the National Championship against Michigan was not a great final showing, and he’ll have to overcome questions about his durability and age as well.

Michael Penix scouting report

Sep 9, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) looks to pass against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the first quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Background

College: Washington

Age: 23

Height: 6’3

Weight: 213

Awards: Maxwell Award (2023), AP Comeback Player of the Year (2022), All-American First Team (2023), All-Pac-12 Second Team (2022, 2023), All-Big Ten Second Team (2020)

A three-star recruit out of Tampa Bay Technical High School, Penix was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2018, in which he was the 66th-ranked quarterback. He began his career at Indiana, where he brought the program rare success when he was on the field. Penix went 12-5 as a starter for the Hoosiers but never played more than six games in a season his whole time there – he tore his right ACL in 2018 and 2020, and was limited injuries in his left (throwing) shoulder in 2019 and 2021.

Penix didn’t play his first full season until 2022 when he transferred to Washington. He threw for 4,641 yards that season as the Huskies went 11-2. He took another step in 2023, setting career-high numbers almost across the board as he led Washington to a Pac-12 title and the College Football Playoff. In the playoff he had an outstanding performance against Texas in the semifinal, but struggled against Michigan in the National Championship. While both performances brought strong reactions, the reality is who he is as a player is somewhere between those two games – as film from his full 2023 season indicates.

For more player breakdowns, scouting reports, and all things 2024 NFL Draft, check out the 98.5 The Sports Hub Draft Hub page. 

• Stats

  Passing

  Year	School	Conf	Class	G(S)	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rate
  2018	Indiana	Big Ten	FR	3(0)	21	34	61.8	219	6.4	1	0	125.6
  2019	Indiana	Big Ten	rFR	6(6)	110	160	68.8	1394	8.7	10	4	157.6
  2020	Indiana	Big Ten	rSO	6(6)	124	220	56.4	1645	7.5	14	4	136.5
  2021	Indiana	Big Ten	rJR	5(5)	87	162	53.7	939	5.8	4	7	101.9
  2022	Washington	Pac-12	rJR	13(13)	362	554	65.3	4641	8.4	31	8	151.3
  2023	Washington	Pac-12	rSR	15(15)	363	555	65.4	4903	8.8	36	11	157.1
  Career				48(45)	1067	1685	63.3	13741	8.2	96	34	146.6
  	Indiana			20(17)	342	576	59.4	4197	7.3	29	15	132.0
  	Washington			28 (28)	725	1109	65.4	9544	8.6	67	19	154.2

  Rushing

  Year	School	Conf	Class	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
  2018	Indiana	Big Ten	FR	3	7	45	6.4	0
  2019	Indiana	Big Ten	rFR	7	22	119	5.4	2
  2020	Indiana	Big Ten	rSO	6	18	25	1.4	2
  2021	Indiana	Big Ten	rJR	5	17	-24	-1.4	2
  2022	Washington	Pac-12	rJR	13	35	92	2.6	4
  2023	Washington	Pac-12	rSR	15	35	8	0.2	3
  Career				48	134	265	2.0	13
  	Indiana			20	64	165	2.6	6
  	Washington			28	70	100	1.4	7

  Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table

• Strengths

  — Pure arm talent is among the best in this class – the ball explodes out of his hand

  — Elite downfield thrower

  — Sees the field well pre- and post-snap

  — Tremendous understanding of where to place the ball on throws, can throw receivers open

  — Moves well in the pocket

  — Leadership and toughness traits you want in a franchise leader

• Weaknesses

  — Effectiveness drops off against pressure more than the average quarterback

  — Unconventional mechanics

  — Not a quarterback a team will design runs for

  — Injury history will be a red flag for some teams – medical testing at the NFL Combine will be big for him

  — Older prospect (turns 24 in May)

• Video breakdown

• Player comparisons

  Ceiling: Philip Rivers

  Middle: Geno Smith

  Floor: Carson Wentz

• Bottom line

  Penix stacks up against any quarterback in this class as a pure passer. But concerns about his injury history and a lack of ceiling due to his age will push him down the board. The question is, how much?

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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