Washington Huskies superstar Michael Penix Jr. dominates pro day

Washigton Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made sure to make the most of his opportunity in front of NFL teams at his Pro Day, excelling in every challenge in front him.

Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a dominant season with the Washington Huskies that saw him lead the team to a national championship appearance. Now, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy has turned his attention toward impressing NFL teams before April’s NFL draft.

Penix decided to skip testing at the NFL combine in favor of focusing on the on-field workouts and interviews with prospective teams. However, after feeling like his athleticism was doubted due to his lack of evidence as a runner on tape he felt it was necessary to post numbers that NFL teams could chew on.

First, he impressed with a 36.5-inch vertical jump a number that would have placed first among quarterbacks at the combine. Not only does this number showcase his athleticism in a controlled setting, but it furthers the argument that his knees have fully recovered from multiple ACL injuries as he has been able to maintain his lower body explosion.

Penix also had a 10-foot-6 broad jump, once again placing himself at the top of quarterbacks who participated in the drill at the combine.

 

The biggest shock of Penix’s pro day was his decision to run the 40-yard dash. He didn’t participate in the test at the combine like many quarterbacks who choose to abstain and it was widely assumed he would pass on participating, opting to let his tape do the talking.

However, it’s now clear that he tested for good reason, Penix posted a run that was timed between 4.46 and 4.59, regardless of where he landed officially on that spectrum that is an utterly ridiculous time for a quarterback that would put him among the fastest in the NFL.

 

The most important part of a quarterback’s pro day is the throwing portion. While these are scripted and practiced to ensure the best results for the player it can still be an opportunity for scouts, and there were over 100 of them at the Washington pro day, to see them throw in person. Penix only missed three of his sixty throws and those were the ones he was dwelling on.

“I don’t like missing throws,  I missed like three throws, but I felt good, though,” Penix said after his workout. “I felt good. Missing three throws out of 60, I can’t complain.”

Penix is the type of player who demands perfection from himself, but he did more than enough for scouts to be confident in his ability to hit every throw, something that was already a selling point in his game coming in. The most pivotal takeaway from his throwing session was the apparent tweaks he has made to his throwing motion.

He has been knocked by some scouts for his unorthodox throwing motion at times but at his pro day, he displayed slightly reworked mechanics. Penix has a noticeably shorter stride as he drives the ball deeper down the field. This shortened the motion as a whole and it looks much smoother overall.

His release has been shortened as well, which helps him get the ball out much faster instead of the long load time that he displayed in 2023. These changes could help him get the ball out faster when on the move or under pressure. Penix’s dominant performance in every facet should give him a very good chance of being selected in the first round.

 

In the end, it only takes one team to be sold on his potential, and with a heavy NFL presence at the pro day, every team has surely taken notice.