After Michael Penix of the Washington Huskies smoked Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl, there was plenty of discussion about the quarterback being a top-10 NFL draft pick and maybe being better than Caleb Williams. That discussion came to a screeching halt on Monday night. Penix and the Washington offense were throttled by an elite Michigan Wolverines defense in Houston.
In an NFL stadium which will host a wild card game this Saturday — with C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, playing in it — Penix didn’t pass the last big test of his 2023 season. As he goes into the 2024 draft, his chances of being a top-10 pick took a huge and likely fatal hit.
Did Penix get knocked all the way out of the first round? That is less certain. However, the talk about Penix being better than Caleb Williams has been largely silenced. A team could take a dart throw on Penix late in the first round, but using a premium (top-10) pick on Penix seems like an unwise gamble at this point.
Here’s a look at NFL draft-centric reactions to Penix’s performance against Michigan: