(Seattle, WA) The 2024 Quarterback Draft class is widely considered to be one of the best draft classes for the position of all time. Each quarterback in this class has one quality that stands out more than the others. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. might be the best passer out of all the quarterback prospects and is largely considered one of the top five quarterbacks in this loaded draft class. However, Penix’s journey to becoming a top-five quarterback in the draft hasn’t been easy. It has been a long journey for the Huskies’ quarterback to get to this point.

Upon graduating from high school, Penix was not considered a top-tier prospect at Tampa Bay Tech in Tampa, Florida. According to 24/7 Sports, Penix was rated as a three-star player during his high school career. Despite only playing varsity football for two years, Penix’s performance was notably impressive.

In the 24 games he played, Penix threw for over 2,000 yards each season, accompanied by 30 touchdowns and single-digit interceptions. He received scholarship offers from major programs such as Oregon, Florida State, and Arizona. In the spring of 2017, Penix initially committed to Tennessee, but decommitted from the Volunteers just two days after his official visit to Indiana. Nine days after his visit, Penix fully committed to the Hoosiers.

Upon his arrival in Bloomington, Penix played in only three games as a true freshman due to an ACL tear during a game against Penn State, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. After a full recovery, Penix was named the Hoosiers’ starting quarterback in 2019. Unfortunately, Penix was plagued by injuries once again. In his first year as the starter, he played in just six games due to a shoulder fracture, causing him to miss Indiana’s final four games and the bowl game that season. In 2020, Penix re-tore his ACL in a game against Maryland, leading to another significant period on the sidelines.

However, Penix’s injury woes did not end there. In his fourth year at Indiana in 2021, he suffered an A/C joint separation, which prematurely ended his season. Over his four years in Bloomington, Penix passed for only 4,197 yards and scored 29 touchdowns for Indiana.

In December of 2021, it became clear that Penix needed a change. His time at Indiana had been marred by injuries, and a fresh start seemed to be in his best interest. Consequently, Penix entered the transfer portal that winter in search of a new opportunity. Despite his history of injuries at Indiana, Penix attracted interest from many teams, including the Washington Huskies.

In the previous season, Washington had an overall record of 4-8 and a Pac-12 record of 3-6. The Huskies had recently dismissed their former head coach and appointed Kalen DeBoer as the new head coach in his first year. Washington was seeking a new quarterback to maximize the potential of the Huskies’ offense, which included promising players such as wide receivers Jalen Mcmillian, Jalyn Polk, Rome Odunze, and tight end Cade Otton. Once DeBoer and Penix connected, DeBoer expressed full confidence in Penix. Recognizing where he needed to be, Penix officially committed to becoming the Huskies’ starting quarterback in 2022.

In Penix’s first season with the Huskies, it was evident that this was a perfect fit. That season, Washington had an impressive record of 11-2 overall and 7-2 in conference play. Penix passed for over 4,600 yards, surpassing his total from his four seasons at Indiana. He led the FBS in passing yards and was honored with the Maxwell Award and the AP Comeback Player of the Year. During a Washington victory in the Alamo Bowl against Texas, Penix set a new school record for the most passing yards in a single season. The transformation of the Washington team under Penix and DeBoer was stark. Remarkably, this Huskies team was poised to improve even further.

During Penix’s senior season, Washington went undefeated in the regular season, a feat the Huskies hadn’t achieved since 1991. In that season, Penix threw for over 4,000 yards, falling just 97 yards short of 5,000 passing yards. The Huskies made it to the National Championship but were defeated by Michigan. However, Washington did secure a victory in their final Pac-12 Championship game against their fierce rivals, Oregon. Overall, Washington won the hearts of many with their electrifying performance on both sides of the ball. Penix finished second in Heisman voting, the highest ever for a Washington player. He concluded his career with the Huskies with over 9,500 passing yards, 67 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.

Michael Penix’s journey to the NFL Draft has been a long one, spanning six seasons of college football filled with numerous highs and lows. This journey has taught him much about his destination, a journey that Penix has persevered through without looking back. It’s quite possible that Penix could hear his name called on either the first or second day of the draft. One thing is for certain: whichever team Penix joins next season is set to have a gem in their locker room. His potential as a quarterback is immense. As the saying goes, “pressure creates diamonds”, and Michael Penix is certainly trending towards becoming a diamond in the NFL.