Michael Penix Jr.

His father was a running back at Tennessee Tech in the 1990s and holds several school rushing records, with his mother running track at Tennessee Tech.

Michael Tarrence Penix Jr. (born May 8, 2000) is an American football quarterback.

He played college football at Indiana and Washington, winning the 2023 Maxwell Award and leading the latter to an appearance in the 2024 national championship.

Penix was born in Cookeville, Tennessee, but later moved and was raised in Dade City, Florida.

Penix attended Tampa Bay Technical High School and started at quarterback for the Titans for two seasons, passing for 4,243 yards with 61 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

He committed to Indiana University to play college football.

As a true freshman in 2018 at Indiana, Penix played in three games, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and was redshirted.

He completed 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.

Named the starter entering the 2019 season, Penix, however, only played in six games due to injury, completing 110 of 160 passes for 1,394 yards, with ten touchdowns and four interceptions.

Penix returned to Indiana as the starter in 2020.

On November 30, he was ruled out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in a win against Maryland.

As a junior on December 14, 2021, Penix transferred to the University of Washington, and led the Huskies to an 11–2 record in 2022.

Penix was the FBS leader in passing yards per game the 2022 regular season, averaging 357 yards per game.

He threw 4,641 passing yards, becoming the Washington Huskies all-time single-season passing leader during the Alamo Bowl.

He won the Maxwell Award and was named AP Comeback Player of the Year.

His senior year, Penix led the 2023 Huskies to an undefeated 13-0 regular season and the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game, which they lost.

Penix finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest ever for a Husky, and lead the NCAA in passing yards, with 4,903, beating his previously set University of Washington single-season passing yards record.

Penix was named MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game, leading UW to a win over rival No. 5 Oregon, and threw for 27-for-39 for 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Penix is a Christian.