NC State football 2022 quarterback commit MJ Morris won the QB Challenge at the 2021 Rivals Five-Star Challenge Tuesday.
Morris, a 6-1, 191-pounder from Pace Academy in Atlanta, Ga., is rated a four-star prospect according to Rivals. He is ranked seventh among quarterbacks nationally and 34th overall from the state of Georgia in the 2022 class on the Rivals database.
The Peach State product was the second overall and the first four-star in his class to commit to the Wolfpack.
“Every day since I committed to NC State, I wake up with a smile on my face,” Morris said. “Just being able to have the chance to play under head coach Dave Doeren and offensive coordinator Tim Beck brings a smile to my face every day.”
2022 four-star quarterback MJ Morris was the first of two four-stars to commit to NC State this summer. (Rivals.com)
Following his commitment earlier this month, Morris visited Raleigh during the second weekend of Doeren’s summer camps.
“It was just great,” Morris said. “Coach Beck was teaching me, and I was learning their offense. He was helping me with some stuff in my game. Then just visiting around the campus, it was a great time. It had a great deal, great vibe, my mom and I loved it.
“It was just a great vibe, great personalities all around me. Every coach on that staff, I look forward to being around for the next four to five years.”
Prior to his junior season, Morris attended Carrollton (Ga.) High, where he appeared in multiple contests as a freshman and became the team's every-game starter in his sophomore campaign.
In his freshman season, he completed 47.7 percent of his passes for 466 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 342 yards (11.0 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
In 2019, his sophomore season, Morris completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 2,186 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 379 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns.
“It was just the best fit for me,” Morris said of his decision to commit to NC State. “It was a perfect fit. They're going to let me play baseball too, so that was really a big part of it. I have a lot of friends up there. Coach Doeren, he's going to be there for at least five more years. Then you got Coach Beck, a great offensive coordinator that I know is going to develop me and help me reach my dreams of getting to the NFL.”
Morris's intent to be a two-sport athlete should come as exciting news for Wolfpack fans considering the program’s strong track record with quarterbacks that also play baseball.
The last to do so was Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer entering his ninth professional season in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.
Former Wolfpack quarterback Terry Harvey was also a star pitcher and was enshrined into the NC State’s Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Morris will play his senior season of high school football at Carrollton (Ga.) High before arriving to campus in 2022. His message for Pack fans before he arrives:
“I want them to know that I'm the hardest-working quarterback in my class,” Morris said. “Nobody is going to outwork me. I’m going to push myself to the limits, and I’m going to come up there and compete every day.”
