NEW ORLEANS — Rome Odunze has him in the top three.
The Washington wide receiver isn't giving Michael Penix Jr. the title of Greatest Husky Ever quite yet, but has him sharing the pedestal with quarterback Warren Moon and defensive end Steve Emtman.
Moon, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, had more NFL success than any other Husky. And Emtman, the former No. 1 overall pick, was the key cog in UW's co-national champion team in 1991.
Perhaps Odunze is right in that Penix — the quarterback who finished second in the Heisman Trophy race this year — hasn't distinguished himself as the clear No. 1 in Washington football history. And though that thought likely isn't on the man's mind as his team gets set to meet Texas in the Sugar Bowl Monday, he does have a chance to top the list.
If he hasn't already.
The numbers are certainly there. Penix led the country in passing yards per game last season (357) and did so again this year (324.5). He tossed 33 touchdowns — tied for fourth in the country — against just nine interceptions this season.
The wins are there, too. Penix is 24-2 in his two-year UW career, 13-0 this season, and is the driving force behind the team's current 20-game winning streak. More significantly, he delivered in the clutch better than any other QB in the nation this year.
Nobody played with more pressure than the senior whose team hasn't won a game by more than 10 points since Sept. 23. And all he did was come through, which is why he got my Heisman vote over LSU's Jayden Daniels despite Daniels' superior numbers.
So I floated the question out to a couple of his teammates. Is he the best to ever wear the purple and gold?
"He's gonna probably be No. 2 right behind me. Nah, just joking," said Odunze, who later grouped Penix with Emtman and Moon. "He's right up there. All respect to him and all respect to the Huskies who have come before, but Mike has come in and done some extraordinary things. The record book says it, his personality says it, and the team success says that as well. That's sort of like the trinity right there."
Added fellow receiver Jalen McMillan: "The way he was able to bring this culture up, and the way he treats the whole program — why not? Why wouldn't he be?"
Penix is Husky royalty regardless of what happens in Monday's national semifinal vs. Texas. But how exactly he's remembered on Montlake will come down to the Sugar Bowl result and beyond.
The Huskies have had quarterbacks lead them to Pac-12 titles before. Jake Browning captured two of them behind center last decade. Taking a team to a national title would put Penix in the conversation (key word: conversation) of greatest Seattle athlete. Not that he's thinking about that or would even think about bringing it up.
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer said he gets emotional when he thinks about everything Penix endured before coming to Washington — namely injuries that derailed four seasons at Indiana. But it's the selflessness that stands out most to him.
"This guy's special. This guy's different. It could easily be a little bit more about him but it's never that way," DeBoer said.
That's clear by how his teammates talk about him, and how he talks about them. Penix has long said that he has the best receiving corps in the country. It's also clear that Penix isn't celebrating anything yet.
At media day Saturday, he channeled his inner Kobe Bryant by saying, more than once, "The job's not done." Still, any time to reflect on what you've accomplished given everything you've been through?
"I just try to be where my feet are," Penix said. "I don't really think too far ahead or look too much behind. Obviously, I can't forget my past because it allowed me to get to where I'm at today. I wouldn't change my route for anything. I feel like everything I've been through shaped me into the person I am today, and the player I'm today. I wouldn't say I'd take it back, but I wouldn't say it was something I wished for either with the injuries and all that."
It's not something anybody would wish for, but it was the best thing to happen to him and one of the best things to happen to his new program. Penix isn't a Husky if he stayed healthy his whole career.
But now he's here and may be the best to ever wear the uniform. Two more wins, and the word "may" disappears.
