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It’s common knowledge that quarterback is the most important position on the football field, if not in all of sports. Thus, when there’s a great one out there at the high school-level, college coaches clamor to bring them into their program.
In 2022, there are only a handful of QBs ranked higher than MJ Morris, the Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy four-star dual-threat who’s ranked No. 52 overall in the 247Sports Composite.
So when Sept. 1 rolled around, Morris was overwhelmed by college coaches blowing up his phone — so much he couldn’t take all of the attention, as positive as it might have been.
“It was definitely a cool day. It was kind of hard – I had to turn my phone off at one point, my phone was blowing up,” Morris told WolverinesWire. “And then at one point, (a school) contacted me with my ringer off. But it was also pretty cool. I got a lot of texts, I got a lot of calls, I got a love from a lot of schools. It was definitely a blessing.”
The highlight for the four-star QB, though, was hearing from Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh.
He heard from a lot of head coaches, a veritable ‘who’s who.’ But something about Harbaugh reaching out felt a little more special, he says.
“I actually got a little emotional when Coach Harbaugh texted me. He texted me and was like, ‘I can’t wait to build this relationship,’” Morris said. “A lot of head coaches texted me, like Georgia Tech – Coach Kirby Smart texted me, Gus Malzahn texted me, Coach Collins at Georgia Tech texted me, Coach Mullen at Florida and then Coach Norvell over at Florida State. So I got to know a lot of those coaches.”
Why was Harbaugh the one who made him smile ear-to-ear though? He explains.
“Just because he’s well-known all over the nation,” Morris said. “He’s a big-time coach in the world. When he texted me, I thought, ‘Wow, I never thought he would actually text me!’ It was definitely great to know how great of a coach would text me that coaches a big program.”
While it was special hearing from Harbaugh, Morris has been developing a friendship with Michigan quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels, his primary recruiter in Ann Arbor.
Even when life gets crazy, the two strive to stay in frequent communication. It might not always work out that way, but they’re doing their best to stay in each others’ lives at this point in Morris’ recruitment.
“Our relationship has been building,” Morris said. “We try to talk at least once or twice a week, but it’s getting kind of hard to because I started school and then I have practice, so it’s getting kind of hard to stay in touch with him. We definitely stay in touch. We usually have 20-30 minutes of staying in touch, asking how our families are, asking how our schools are, asking how our offenses are, how I’m feeling about the season, what all Michigan’s doing – that kind of stuff. So our connection is getting really, really strong right now.”
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For many top-notch recruits outside of the Midwest, despite all of Michigan’s accolades, it doesn’t get put on the map until someone like five-star J.J. McCarthy commits.
That’s not the case for Morris, however. While he hasn’t watched much Wolverines football, he was already well aware of Michigan’s prowess.
And considering McCarthy would eventually be Morris’ competition if he does choose to wear maize and blue, he already looks at him as a threat he’d have to take over once he’d arrive on campus.
“I’ve always known about Michigan. It’s just a great program, everyone knows it’s a great program there,” Morris said. “My eyes were open before J.J. McCarthy. I’m not really too focused on him. I know he’s a great quarterback. But if Michigan’s the place for me, I’m gonna go in there and compete for a starting job because I feel like I’m in the top-end of my abilities.
“I didn’t watch Michigan that much, but now that I’m really considering them – they’re a high-priority school – then I’m definitely going to start watching them whenever they come on TV.”
At the moment, Mizzou, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Oregon, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Penn State are recruiting Morris the hardest. Because of COVID-19, he hasn’t had a chance to see much, as of yet, and thus wants to take his time in his recruitment. So far, he’s only been to Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee. He’s not going to make any commitments until the dead period is relinquished and he can make some college visits — so, a decision will likely come next year.
As a dual-threat, he’s looking for an offense that has some semblance of balance between the run and the pass. “I don’t want to go to an offense that hands the ball off 80% of the time,” he says. As for Michigan: “I think I would fit into the offense great. (I’m looking for) an offense where I could make reads and that could get me ready for the next level if I can get there.”
Morris didn’t grow up an Auburn fan, per se, but his mother is a graduate, and he’s emulated his game off of Cam Newton — along with Clemson’s DeShaun Watson.
When it comes to finding a college, Morris wants to make sure that he finds a place where, regardless of the situation, he isn’t going to want to leave. Whether it be because of the competition or the locale, wherever he goes, he wants to stay until he graduates and/or head to the NFL.
“One thing I want when I get to campus, I want to feel like I can feel like I’m at home and stay there for three-to-four years of my life and never think about leaving or transferring,” he said. “If I’m like comfortable with a place and I bond with the coaches and the teammates, I feel like that’s gonna make my game so much better, because I’m comfortable. Pretty much what I’m looking for.”
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