Morris' Portal Transfer Decision Becomes the Ultimate Blind Date

HOUSTON — Consider it the ultimate blind date.

On Saturday at media day for the CFP national championship game, University of Washington quarterback Dylan Morris told how he chose James Madison as his transfer portal destination — without ever visiting the school.

Instead, he relied on Zoom and phone calls with multiple people to get acquainted with the coaches and become sold on the Dukes, who are members of the Sun Belt Conference and coming off an 11-2 season, and in need of a veteran quarterback.

Morris picked James Madison after visiting only Marshall, another Sun Belt team that lost 20-9 this past season to the Dukes, who play in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 

The quarterback's involvement in the CFP championship game prevented him from taking more trips and a decision had to be made.

"That's the interesting part about my whole experience  right now, how it all played out, how I got on campus only at one place," he said. "Obviously I could have, say we weren't in the position we are right now, I'd be able to visit schools the first week [of January], but obviously we're here so it's a little different for me."

Rather than cut all ties with the UW and move on, Morris agreed to stay with the Huskies in a back-up role until the postseason run concludes, which will be Monday no matter what happens.

Morris originally was hoping to reclaim the UW starting job he held in 2020 and 2021, and replace Michael Penix Jr., who stepped in for him once Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff took over a Huskies team coming off a 4-8 season in 2021.

Penix, a Tampa native who transferred from Indiana to the Huskies back then, will use up his college eligibility on Monday night.

Instead, Morris will try to win a James Madison job vacated by the graduating Jordan McCloud, who ... is a Tampa product.