Letter of intent No. 8: Quarterback MJ Morris
The eighth letter of intent comes from four-star quarterback MJ Morris of Carrollton (Ga.) High.
Here is a full bio on Morris.
Stats
• Senior: Morris completed 186 of 295 passes for 3,089 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 14 games. He also has rushed 109 times for 602 yards and seven scores, and has caught three passes for 140 yards and two scores.
• Junior: Morris went 80-of-133 passing for 1,180 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games at Atlanta (Ga.) Academy. He rushed 32 times for minus-18 yards and two scores.
• Sophomore: Morris was 131-of-216 passing for 2,186 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games at Carrollton High. He added 58 carries for 379 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Ratings
• Rivals.com: Four stars, No. 225 overall nationally, No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 23 overall in Georgia.
• 247Sports: Three stars, No. 24 quarterback in the country and No. 41 overall in Georgia.
• ESPN: Three stars, No. 18 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 61 overall player in Georgia.
Scouting Report With Carrollton Coach Joey King
MJ Morris finished what he helped start at Carrollton (Ga.) High under coach Joey King.
Morriss attended Carrollton High his first two years before transferring to Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy. He then returned to Carrollton High after King was hired. King had been the offensive coordinator at Carrollton in the past, and was formerly the tight ends coach at South Florida.
The King and Morris combination helped Carrollton High go 12-2 before falling 21-6 to perennial state power Buford High in the Georgia AAAAAA playoffs.
“He did a great job with a great senior year,” King said. “He came back when I came back. He showed great leadership and poise throughout the entire season. We played in the semifinals and he led a team that had graduated a lot of seniors [from 2020]. I was so proud of him, and he statistically had a good year too.”
King said Morris showed good improvement in processing the game from the start of his senior year until the end. He is also a prep baseball standout.
“He’s an intelligent young man, who can step up and make plays,” King said. “As the moments got bigger, we used his legs a little bit more. He’s a really good athlete, but we didn’t choose to run him earlier in the year. As it got down the stretch, he used his legs a little bit more.”
King said the moment Morris arrived back from Pace Academy, he was an immediate leader in the weight room and in conditioning.
“It’s just something he does naturally,” King said.
Morris threw for over 300 yards in four contests, and even tossed for six touchdowns in a 56-15 win over Dalton (Ga.) High on Sept. 17. He had a season-high 183 rushing yards and a score on 11 carries in a 47-28 win over Canton (Ga.) Creekview High on Nov. 13.
“Whatever the defense gives us, that was always our mentality,” King said. “Just take what they give you until the big plays come. He did a good job of doing both of those [passing or rushing] for us.”
Morris proved adept at the quick game passes with the arm strength and vision to stretch the field vertically.
“I don’t know if there is a limitation on what he can do with his arm talent,” King said. “I think he has the potential to make every throw on the field.”
King projects Morris to continue improving at processing the game when he gets the college. He believes his system has helped his players play early in college if need be.
“I think he’s a really good football, who is dedicated to his craft,” King said. “I remember sitting up here in the summer, and after summer workouts, it was just pouring down rain outside.
“I’m looking out on the field, and I see someone out there in the pouring down rain. It was him by himself and just working. I shot him a text message and said ‘This is what greatness is made of.’ He wasn’t out there for someone to take a picture of and Tweet it out.”
Honors/Accomplishments
Morris won the Quarterback Challenge at the 2021 Rivals Five-Star Challenge last June.
Morris set the single season passing record at Carrollton High this year.
Recruitment
Morris was a national recruit with offers from NC State, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Oregon, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Florida State and Virginia Tech, among others. He eventually picked the Wolfpack over Georgia Tech and Nebraska on June 3, 2021. He was offered by the Wolfpack on April 27, 2020.
Recruiter of Record
NC State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck.
Quotable
“Every day since I committed to NC State, I wake up with a smile on my face. 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.” — MJ Morris
2022 Projection
He’ll be a lock to redshirt because NC State is so deep at the position.
Highlights
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