Entering a new era at QB
Terps land commitment from NC State transfer Morris, a sophomore
With Taulia Tagovailoa’s record-setting college career coming to an end, Maryland football might have found its starting quarterback for next season.
MJ Morris, a sophomore who went 3-1 as a starter this past season at North Carolina State, announced Wednesday on social media his intention to transfer to Maryland.
A former three-star prospect from Carrollton, Georgia, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Morris completed 55.8% of his passes for 719 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions in four games with the Wolfpack in 2023 before redshirting. He has three years of eligibility remaining and would be the fifth quarterback on the Terps’ current roster, joining redshirt sophomore Billy Edwards Jr., redshirt freshmen Cameron Edge and Jayden Sauray, and true freshman Champ Long. Three-star prospect Khristian Martin is also committed as part of the team’s 2024 recruiting class.
Morris began the season as the backup to Virginia transfer Brennan Armstrong, but with the offense struggling and in need of a spark, coach Dave Doeren named Morris the starter Oct. 7 against Marshall. He threw for 265 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions to help lead NC State to a 48-41 victory that ended the Thundering Herd’s ninegame winning streak. Morris completed four passes that went for more than 30 yards and led seven scoring drives.
“He gave us the spark we needed,” Doeren said after the game. “He’s a mentally tough young man. Wouldn’t expect anything less from him. He’s going to respond — that’s who he is — when he gets in a tough situation, he’s going to fight.”
After a 24-3 loss at then-No. 17 Duke on Oct. 14, Morris helped lead NC State to wins over Clemson (24-17) and Miami (20-6) to secure bowl eligibility before surprisingly opting to sit out the rest of the season to qualify for a redshirt. He then announced Nov. 30 that he was entering the transfer portal.
Morris later said on 247 Sports’ transfer portal show earlier this month that he wanted to remain with NC State, but that Doeren and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper told him in a meeting after the season that the program planned to go in a different direction. On Wednesday, the Wolfpack received a commitment from former Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall.
“They just told me that they wanted to take different ways, go get a different quarterback, go get a starting quarterback,” Morris said. “I knew right there after that conversation it was just time to explore my options and take my talents elsewhere.”
Morris was also thrust into the lineup as a true freshman in 2022 after starter Devin Leary was injured. He played five games, including three starts, and completed 60.5% of his passes for 648 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 88 yards and a score. But he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Boston College in mid-November, which he said required surgery.
Like Tagovailoa, who arrived at Maryland in 2020 after spending his freshman season with his older brother Tua at Alabama, Morris is one of many quarterbacks who have taken advantage of relaxed transfer rules that have allowed players to change teams without having to sit out a season.
ESPN reported that 1,190 football players entered their name into the transfer portal when it opened Dec. 4, including highly touted quarterbacks such as Ohio State’s Kyle McCord, Washington State’s Cam Ward, Duke’s Riley Leonard, Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei and UCLA’s Dante Moore. Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels began his career at Arizona State before transferring to LSU, and two other finalists in Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (Auburn) and Washington quarterback Michael Penix (Indiana) transferred before having the best seasons of their careers.
While Maryland has had nine players enter the transfer portal this month, including linebacker Jaishawn Barham and tight end Corey Dyches, Morris is the second transfer to join the program.
Jalen Huskey, a 6-1, 185-pound junior cornerback from Frederick who was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2023 after recording four interceptions, six pass breakups and 52 tackles, announced Sunday that he is transferring to Maryland. The Terps also picked up a commitment Sunday from threestar safety Shamar McIntosh, a St. John’s College alumnus who is ranked the No. 7 prospect from D.C. according to 247 Sports.
Maryland, which finished the regular season 7-5 after Tagovailoa set the Big Ten’s all-time passing mark in a 42-24 win over Rutgers, will face Auburn in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 30 in what is expected to be Tagovailoa’s final appearance with the Terps.