If you haven’t yet, it’s time for NFL fans to take notice of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., thanks to another dominant performance.
The transfer from Indiana continued his impressive start to the 2022 season with his new team, racking up 397 yards and four touchdowns through the air Saturday night in a 38-29 upset win over No. 11 Michigan State.
Listed at 6-3, 214 pounds, the southpaw slinger is showing off all the physical and mental traits that will grab the attention of pro scouts and decision-makers when it comes to finding a potential franchise quarterback.
If Penix continues to perform at this level, especially against top competition, don’t be surprised if his name starts to climb up draft boards throughout the league.
If you’re a transfer quarterback who wins the starting job at a Power 5 program, the pressure is on.
Good thing for the Washington Huskies that Michael Penix Jr. is their man.
The Indiana transfer was unshakable in Saturday night’s season opener against Kent State, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions.
The most impressive number of the night for Penix was his success under pressure, as Pro Football Focus gave him the highest grade of any quarterback in the nation this weekend when under duress.
We’ll see if Penix can keep up these kinds of numbers in conference play, but the early returns are encouraging for Huskies fans.
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Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington offensive line prospect Nick Harris
Nick Harris | OL | Washington
Elevator Pitch
A polished and determined interior offensive line prospect who brings athleticism and coordination to the table, Harris has the potential to step in and be a solid starter at the next level. Despite his deficiencies, he has plenty of tools in his game to warrant looks late on Day 2 of the draft.
If Harris were even two inches and 10 pounds of muscle heavier, there’s a solid chance we’d be looking at him as a possible first-round pick.
Harris brings impressive athleticism to the center position. He has good lateral quickness, as he can move around well in pass protection and execute down blocks with efficiency. He climbs to the second level well when called upon to do so, and he is able to maintain good coordination and body control when moving to block linebackers or defensive backs. His overall fluidity allows him to rotate his hips and adjust his frame to square up to defenders.
Centers are known for being some of the smartest players on the football field, and that rings true with Harris. He does a good job of adjusting his set points and figuring out which sets to use on a given play. He communicates well with his teammates to slide protection or make other adjustments at the line of scrimmage. When asked to block on a zone play, he is able to clear out his zone effectively and understand what his assignment is on said play. His intelligence translates to his technique too, as he plays with great leverage in his pads and sinks into contact well to get his weight underneath him. He plays with a high motor and also possesses impressive determination and grip strength when he locks up with a defender.
Weaknesses
The big issue with Harris as a prospect has to do with a lack of an NFL build. He’s short for an offensive lineman and doesn’t have significant muscle weight in his frame. His lack of length limits his range as a blocker a bit, and he could stand to pack on a few more pounds of muscle and strengthen his core a bit. That lack of bulk shows up on tape sometimes, as his anchor strength can be improved in order to get better against powerful interior defenders at the next level. While he weighed in at over 300 pounds at the Combine, he played at well under that mark in his collegiate career.
Harris’ hand placement has shown some promise, but there are times where he ends up misplacing his strikes and failing to maintain proper leverage in that regard. He has an occasional tendency to hold onto defenders when the play doesn’t go according to plan, which will need to be cleaned up a bit at the next level.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Washington offensive line prospect Nick Harris
Experience, intelligence, athleticism. These are all traits that make a successful offensive line prospect, and things that all 32 NFL teams are looking for in this year’s draft.
They’ll find them all in Washington’s Nick Harris.
A battle-tested blocker with experience at every interior offensive line position, Harris recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his ability to play multiple spots, the leadership ability of Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.
JM: You’re an experienced starting center, and you really were the leader of that Washington offensive line. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
NH: Experience is never a bad thing and I have a lot of it. We played against some of the best defenses in the nation and I’ve played against some of the best interior defensive linemen in the nation. It certainly gives me an edge to compete at the next level. I embraced a leadership role at Washington. That will go a long way for me as well. I have the experience teams are looking for at the next level.
JM: Speaking of those linemen, who are some of the best interior defensive linemen you’ve squared off with?
NH: The first people that come to mind are the guys that we’ve had at Washington throughout my time there. We’ve been blessed with so many quality defensive linemen. Guys like Vita Vea, Greg Gaines, Elijah Qualls and Shane Bowman. All of those guys have serious NFL talent and I had to go up against them every single day. Regarding our opponents, you had guys like Leki Fotu from Utah. I played against Derrick Brown from Auburn during my junior year. The defensive tackles at USC are so solid. We had to play against a lot of talented guys that will definitely be playing on Sunday’s.
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JM: What do you enjoy about playing center?
NH: I mostly just enjoy being in the middle of it all. It fits my personality. I’m an outgoing guy. I’m an excellent communicator. I’m not afraid to talk to anyone. I love the responsibility that comes with playing the position. I love being able to use my football I.Q. as a trait. You definitely have to have a high football I.Q. to play the position. I love the game of football and I have a great understanding of things. I love using that to my advantage as a center.
JM: You spent most of your time at center over the past few years, but you’ve played some left and right guard, as well. Do you think it makes the most sense for your pro team to keep you at center at the next level?
NH: I would say so, yes. I’m capable of playing anywhere inside though. I played my first two years at Washington at left and right guard, just like you said. There’s no telling how much better I would have gotten at guard if I had stayed there. I love playing on the interior. I’ll play anywhere that my team needs me to play for sure.
JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer or maybe that you’re more comfortable in?
NH: I would like to play in an offense that uses my play style to my advantage. I enjoy blocking on the second level. I love using my athleticism to create an advantage for myself. I enjoy the different wide zone concepts, a lot of downfield stuff. That definitely suits me best. With that said, we did a little bit of everything at Washington. I played in a multiple offense. We did everything. I’m definitely capable of playing in any kind of offense.
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JM: You were also at the Senior Bowl. Who were some of the best pass rushers you saw down there?
NH: I mostly went up against the interior defensive linemen down there. I thought that Davon Hamilton from Ohio State was a good defensive tackle. He’s a strong guy with powerful hands. Jason Strowbridge from North Carolina was pretty good, too. He was quick and he had really good hands. All of the guys down there were solid, but those two stuck out to me the most.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
NH: My personal favorite way, I mean every offensive linemen loves to dominate. I actually enjoy the mental aspect of it more. I like winning the psychological battle in the trenches. That’s something I take pride in. I like chirping them, I like getting chippy. I think that takes a toll on a defensive linemen throughout the game. Everybody says that I’m a little undersized. I don’t believe I am but that’s what they say. You gotta use anything you can to gain the upper hand.
JM: Do you have a preferred pass set, and do you vary that throughout the course of a game?
NH: Yeah, I personally like pass setting different players differently. It’s important that I keep them on their toes. I don’t want them to get used to how I’m pass setting. That’s how you become predictable. If I’m up against a quicker guy, I like to set right on the ball, a quick little set. That allows me to stop their rush rather quickly. I would say the same for the bull rush guys just so they don’t get momentum right off the snap. I like switching it up though. You have to throw them off throughout the game.
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What can you tell me about Jacob Eason the man, the leader, and the quarterback?
NH: He came on so strong for us this year. He definitely took on a leadership role. A lot of people don’t think that he did that but I can tell you firsthand that he did. We relied on him a lot this year. As the quarterback in our offense, he was obviously the face of our offense. Somebody had to grow into that role following the departure of Jake Browning and Jacob definitely did that. The talent is there, man. He loves football and he loves being around the guys. He was a hell of a leader for us. I enjoyed watching him grow over these past two years. The ceiling is incredibly high for him at the next level because he loves football.
JM: What kind of impact is Nick Harris going to make at the next level?
NH: I’m gonna bring a different energy to a team, an energy that people can feed off of. I’m definitely gonna embrace a leadership role. People feed off of that. I’m just gonna bring a competitive edge to the locker room. I want people to see it. I wanna compete with my teammates day in, day out. Those are the things I’m gonna bring with me to the next level.
