How Husky QB Michael Penix Jr. has built a career bouncing back

Michael Penix Jr.’s imperfection is an attribute.
It’s not a weakness.
It’s a weapon.
Ryan Grubb and Rome Odunze saw this inside the Rose Bowl, on a night both would otherwise rather forget. In a 40-32 prime-time loss to UCLA on Sept. 30, 2022, Penix cratered in a calamitous second quarter — completing 4 of 13 passes with a pair of picks. The Bruins outscored UW 17-3 in the quarter and entered the locker room with a commanding 26-10 lead.
But for Penix in particular, perspective is important. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound lefty saw four consecutive seasons at Indiana end in injury — torn ACLs in 2018 and 2020, a sternoclavicular joint (connecting the clavicle to the sternum) injury in 2019 and an AC joint shoulder separation in 2021.
He developed enough scar tissue to last a lifetime.
Which was bad news for the Bruins.
“I think if a lot of quarterbacks had the second quarter Mike had against UCLA, they would have folded,” said Grubb, UW’s second-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. “He came back out after halftime and was determined to win that football game and played a really good second half. I just think about that and how unflappable he is. A lot of that correlates to really good quarterback play.
“As a coach, you’re just looking to see what’s inside the kid. When I look at Mike, all I see is resiliency. I take no credit for that. Because as a coach, you just point out: ‘This is in you. This is how you’re already wired.’ You just continue to back him on it. I just think he’s a really mentally tough kid. He’s had to go through a lot with injuries. When you put that in perspective with quarterback play, and you’ve been through this in real life, just take this second quarter and get over it. Ultimately, some guys will rise up and it’ll come out of them. And some guys, they shrink. Mike definitely doesn’t shrink.”
The evidence is everywhere.
Like in a near-perfect second half against UCLA, where Penix completed 19 of 22 passes (86.4%) for 212 yards and three touchdowns — finding the end zone in every drive.
Or in the 52-6 win over Portland State, where Penix responded to an early interception by completing 10 of 11 passes for 135 yards in his next three possessions, leading UW to two touchdowns and a field goal.
Or in the 45-38 loss at Arizona State, where Penix threw a pick-six that ricocheted off left guard Jaxson Kirkland’s helmet … then guided the Huskies to three touchdowns (going 12-16 for 106 yards) in their next four drives.
Or in the 51-33 Apple Cup win over Washington State, where Penix surrendered a third-quarter interception … before UW scored 17 consecutive points to diffuse the drama.
Or, most notably, in the 37-34 win at Oregon — where Penix surrendered a potentially devastating interception in the Ducks’ end zone … then ripped an iconic sideline shot to Taj Davis for a game-tying 62-yard touchdown just three plays later.
“He knew not to throw that ball [in the end zone against Oregon]. He was trying to make too much happen,” Grubb said. “But it doesn’t matter. He’s going to make good decisions. There’s so many subtle moments throughout the season after that where there were opportunities for him to force the football and he didn’t, valuing staying on the field. Because he knows how good we are. Ultimately, if we don’t just shoot ourselves in the foot and we stay out there, we have a chance to score almost every drive.
“There’s a difference between good/great quarterbacks and then the elite guys. The elite guys, you don’t look at your call sheet and second guess, ‘What’s he going to do here?’ You trust him. Mike trusts me, that I’m going to get him in a good call. And I trust that he’s going to make good decisions, and it works really, really well.”
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When I look at Mike, all I see is resiliency.
So well, in fact, that the Tampa product set a school record with 4,641 passing yards in 2022 — completing 65.3% of his passes with 35 total touchdowns and eight interceptions. He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year, before rejecting the NFL draft to return for a Seattle sequel.
The goal, of course, is a Pac-12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth — which will require resiliency in a merciless November stretch against USC, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State.
And while Penix certainly strives to minimize mistakes, few are more adept at overcoming obstacles.
By now, his bounce-back ability amounts to muscle memory.
“He’s definitely a steady line [with his demeanor],” said Odunze, UW’s standout wide receiver. “But when he makes those mistakes, you can see in him that he wants to make the next play.
“There was a specific throw in the season where I saw that, where it was UCLA and we were struggling and then he threw a ball over to me on the sideline over three defenders [for a 17-yard gain]. I don’t think it was the same play [he threw a previous interception on], but it was the same area read. When he did that, I was like, ‘OK, he’s going 1-0.’”
For those blissfully oblivious to the ever-expanding encyclopedia of football cliches, “going 1-0” refers to a player’s ability to flush the past and consume himself with the present play.
Penix’s past, of course, has been checkered with challenges big and small.
He’s overcome them all.
“What he’s so good at is the response piece, whether it’s a response by the offense or his response individually when things are not going well,” said UW coach Kalen DeBoer, discussing Penix’s greatest strengths. “His response has always been what I’ve been impressed by, especially last year.
“I think it’s just indicative of who he is and the adversity he’s been through on a bigger scale with his career. He can just flush it and move on in a way that a lot of other guys can’t. That’s one of the greatest qualities you want in a quarterback.”
So, yes: We’ve seen Penix expertly maneuver mistakes.
But how will he handle success?
For a player whose career was once a Groundhog’s Day deluge of recycled rehabs, will a Heisman spotlight be harder to handle?
Suddenly, three losses in one night as Rodriguez, Kirby miss game and M’s lose
“I just make sure I have the right mindset and I attack every day with a purpose. So that when things don’t go my way, I’m able to bounce back and capitalize and learn from those moments,” Penix said after a recent practice, gripping a Gatorade protein shake. “I wouldn’t say it’s going all good [right now]. Nothing’s perfect. Nobody’s perfect. I’m still just learning and continuing to try to get better.”
Penix’s best is nearly beyond compare. Transfer linebacker Ralen Goforth — who practiced alongside reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams last season at USC — said, “I’ve seen [Penix] make throws that I’ve never seen before, honestly.” Mississippi State running back transfer Dillon Johnson added: “Mike threw a ball yesterday to Rome, and I’ve never seen anything like it. It looked like it just stuck to him.”
But football, Penix knows, is predicated on imperfection; he won’t bowl a 300 against Boise State. Even in an offense overflowing with established stars — wide receivers Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk, tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, tight ends Devin Culp and Jack Westover, etc. — adversity is inevitable.
At some point — news flash — the sixth-year senior will serve up an interception.
After which, he’ll go back to work.
“All around, Mike is an NFL quarterback,” sophomore wide receiver Germie Bernard said. “He plays at a high level. His IQ is really good. He makes sure the ball is in the right spot.
“Shoot, we’ve got the best quarterback in the country. That’s it right there. I don’t have anything else to say.”

Courtesy of Mike Vorel