Yes, the season is only three weeks old, but if Michael Penix Jr. was putting up these same numbers at Alabama or Ohio State, he would be on the front page of every major website that covers college football. While Washington’s blowout of #11 Michigan State definitely helped the branding of the school and the team, Penix should be receiving a whole lot more national attention than he is.

With Penix at the helm, he’s helped Washington revive its offense and turn it into one of the top five teams in the country on the offensive side of the football. So far this season, he’s thrown for 1,079 yards and led the Huskies to the top passing attack in the Pac-12, which is also second best in the FBS. The Huskies are also first in the conference and fourth in the nation in total offense, and Penix deserves a lot of credit for that when he’s making throws like this.

With conference play getting underway for the Huskies this weekend, it seems very likely that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will continue to open up the playbook and show why he and head coach Kalen DeBoer are two of the brightest minds in the college football world. So, just how great has Penix been in their system?

He leads the nation with 11 completions of 20+ yards downfield, and has a passer rating of 180.8 while averaging 10.2 yards per attempt so far this season. When you reduce that number to 15+ yards downfield, he’s 18/33 on the year (54%) for 559 yards, five touchdowns, and his only interception on the year, which came from a bit of bad luck on a tipped ball. And at +6000 odds to win the award, putting some money on Penix to be Washington’s first Heisman winner seems like a great bet.

The biggest concern with Penix has always been his health, but people shouldn’t be too concerned about that in 2022. His offensive line has done an amazing job keeping him upright so far, as they haven’t allowed a sack through three weeks. That stood out against Michigan State, as the Spartan defense came in leading the nation in sacks, and the Husky front allowed just a 14% pressure rate against their vaunted front four led by Jacoby Windmon, who’s currently second in the nation with 5.5 sacks.

While the pace Penix is on seems unsustainable, betting against his coaching staff and supporting cast doesn’t seem like a good idea. Penix himself has shown great poise and composure in the pocket, that he’s an excellent decision maker and knows how and when to get rid of the football, and that he can drop it on a dime even on the move. As Washington continues to show what they’re made of under DeBoer, Penix’s stock as both a Heisman candidate and NFL prospect should continue to rise.