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Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had an outstanding season as he finished second in the 2023 Heisman Trophy race. He also guided the Huskies to the No. 2 rank in the nation with an unbeaten record, including the final Pac-12 Conference Championship. He finished 307 of 466 passes (65.9% completion) for 4,218 yards and 33 passing touchdowns to nine interceptions.
However, people have been wondering what is next for Michael Penix Jr. as the 2024 NFL draft approaches. Will he return to the Washington Huskies or begin his journey as an NFL quarterback? Let's take a look at his not-so-distant decision.
What will Michael Penix Jr. do in 2024?
Michael Penix Jr. took advantage of the rule that every player gained an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic-shortened season. As a result, he was able to play in his sixth season of college football. However, that was his final year of eligibility, which means he will be forced to enter the 2024 NFL draft.
How high in the NFL draft can we see Michael Penix Jr. get selected?
Penix has been an outstanding quarterback, and this draft class boasts one of the most high-level quarterbacks available in a long time. That puts him behind the eight-ball because he will be an older rookie next season, as he will be 24 years old come kickoff, giving teams a slight disadvantage.
Most of the mock drafts have him selected in the second round of the draft, but do not be surprised to see him getting a Lamar Jackson-esque selection in the back of the first round. Teams are going to be looking at guys like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels higher, but Penix has placed himself as a fringe guy in that tier.
He has shown two years of dominance with Washington but could not get going with Indiana, as he had 29 touchdowns in four years but 30+ touchdowns in each of his two seasons with the Huskies. Expect a team wanting a cheap backup in Year 1 to look at him as a fringe first-round draft choice.
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