Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. wins Maxwell Award and odds are the Heisman Trophy is next

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/8/23

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. won the 87th Maxwell Award for collegiate player of the year on Friday, improving his chances of adding more hardware to his collection in roughly 24 hours.

On Dec. 9, college football will award the Heisman Trophy and if Penix hears his name called, he'll join a growing trend of winners. Eight of the last nine Maxwell winners have won the Heisman, including the previous four in LSU QB Joe Burrow (2019), Alabama WR DeVonta Smith (2020), Alabama QB Bryce Young (2021) and USC QB Caleb Williams (2022).

The former Indiana QB has one more coincidence in his favor. Four of the last six Heisman Trophy winners came from the transfer portal.

The Best Player in College Football.

Michael Penix Jr. #USvsUS x @themikepenix pic.twitter.com/71geJZmtkI
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 9, 2023

While the competition is stiff, Penix has made a compelling case to win the award. He led Washington to an undefeated 13-0 record, toppling 11 Power 5 opponents while going 5-0 against ranked opponents. He also defeated one of his competitors, Oregon QB Bo Nix, twice, helping the Huskies claim the Pac-12 Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff while leading the nation in passing yards (4,218).

While recent history may be on his side, Penix isn't the favorite to earn the most coveted individual honor in college football. Penix is among the four finalists, including Nix, LSU QB Jayden Daniels and Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. According to oddschecker, Penix (+1800) is actually a distant third to win behind Daniels (+125) and Nix (-180).

It's been a long journey for Penix, who saw his first four years of college football end prematurely due to injury. However, after mulling retirement, Penix transferred to Washington in 2022 and a year-and-change later, he could become the 87th winner of the Heisman Trophy.

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