North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback MJ Morris has opted to redshirt for the remainder of his season after taking over the starting job from Brennan Armstrong and securing wins over Clemson, Marshall and Miami.
BREAKING NEWS:
Sophomore QB MJ Morris has elected to Redshirt the remainder of the 2023 Season.
With 3 games left to play and a 6-3 Record, Brennan Armstrong will take back over QB1 duties for the Wolfpack.
Stunning turn of events. pic.twitter.com/WYhTjtuZqz
— Locked On Wolfpack (@LO_Wolfpack) November 7, 2023
Morris is a sophomore and, based on his performance, looks to be not only the quarterback of the future for the program but also the right now — leaving many stunned by his decision.
However, after four starts — the maximum number of games a player can play before redshirting — Morris opted to redshirt. This will allow him more college football eligibility, giving him more time to develop and be the Wolfpack's signal-caller long-term.
Through his four games — which included Marshall, Duke, Clemson and Miami, in that order — Morris completed 56.1% of his passes for 723 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions, along with 85 rushing yards. While he went 3-1 in those games, he wasn't necessarily a superstar player.
To be fair to Morris and his decision, this was the plan all along. We saw NC State get blown out earlier this season, and a walk-on went in for garbage time instead of Morris, conserving his game appearances.
Some speculate that Morris might be gearing up to leave. But his father, Eddie Morris, doesn't agree with that sentiment.
"Nobody said he is leaving the program," his dad said. "If he would have left the program, he would have left in January, and he would have left in May. He had plenty of options."
From a fan perspective, it's certainly perplexing. But from a business decision, this makes plenty of sense for Morris and his college football career.
The Wolfpack's season continues on, but with Armstrong — a transfer from Virginia — back under center.
Before getting benched, Armstrong completed 58.4% of his passes for 971 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions — along with 378 rushing yards and three touchdowns — through five starts.
The Wolfpack will take on Wake Forest in Week 11.
