One of the biggest questions of the offseason was answered Thursday with redshirt freshman quarterback MJ Morris set to enter the transfer portal.
Morris' move will likely lead NC State to go after at least two different quarterbacks in the NCAA transfer portal.
Morris was inserted into the starting lineup “to provide a spark” against Marshall on Oct. 7. The Wolfpack topped the Thundering Herd 48-41 and went on to go 3-1 with Morris under center.
Morris wasn’t asked to do much, but protecting the football and getting the ball to Kevin Concepcion were the top priorities. NC State didn’t have that same identity with senior quarterback Brennan Armstrong in getting off to a 3-2 start.
However, because Morris knew he could still preserve his redshirt year by playing in four games, he went to the coaches and asked to not play the rest of the season. That surprised coach Dave Doeren and likely his teammates. It also immediately led to transfer speculation, which the Morris family shot down.
Armstrong was inserted back into the lineup and Morris went to scout team. The backlash against Morris was strong for quitting on his teammates. It likely became untenable for him to return to NC State.
The Wolfpack continued with the same formula that worked with Morris, except Armstrong added a running dimension. NC State ended up finishing the season 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the ACC, and on a five-game winning streak.
Morris went 63-of-113 passing for 719 yards, 58.8 percent completion percentage, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in four games this season. He added 32 carries for 15 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Carrollton (Ga.) High essentially played two full games and half of a third as a true freshman in 2022. He finished going 52-of-86 for 648 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. He completed 60.5 percent of his passes and injured his knee in the difficult loss against Boston College.
Rivals.com had Morris ranked No. 238 overall in the country in the class of 2022, No. 3 dual-threat quarterback nationally and the No. 25 overall player in Georgia. He picked NC State over Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Florida State among others.
Morris becomes the 12th NC State to depart the program, and leaves just nine members remaining in the class of 2022.
Timeline of MJ Morris' path
June 3, 2021 — Class of 2022 quarterback MJ Morris verbally commits to NC State
Feb. 19, 2022 — Quarterback Aaron McLaughlin enters portal
Oct. 8, 2022 — Quarterback Devin Leary suffers season-ending injury in 19-17 win over Florida State
Oct. 27, 2022 — Morris comes off bench to rally NC State past Virginia Tech
Nov. 5, 2022 — Morris makes first start against Wake Forest, his fourth game experience
Nov. 12, 2022 — Morris suffers season-ending knee injury and shuts it down after Boston College loss
Dec. 4, 2022 — Offensive coordinator Tim Beck hired as coach at Coastal Carolina
Dec. 5, 2022 — Leary enters portal
Dec. 8, 2022 — NC State hires offensive coordinator Robert Anae
Dec. 30, 2022 — NC State loses 16-12 to Maryland in Duke’s Maho Bowl with Finley starting
April 11, 2023 — Quarterback Ben Finley enters portal
Jan. 7, 2023 — Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong transfers to NC State
Aug. 31, 2023 — Armstrong opens the season as starter in 24-14 win over Connecticut
Sept. 29, 2023 — Armstrong is benched after 13-10 loss vs. Louisville
Oct. 7, 2023 — Morris replaces Armstrong as starting quarterback in win over Marshall
Nov. 4, 2023 — Morris and NC State top Miami (Fla.) 20-6 to improve to 6-3
Nov. 9, 2023 — NC State coach Dave Doeren announces Morris’ redshirting, and Armstrong is starter again
Nov. 30, 2023 — Morris enters the transfer portal
NC State players who have left the program:
• Michael Allen, running back, sophomore
• Micah Crowell, running back, redshirt sophomore
• Darius Edmundson, safety, senior
• Nate Evans, cornerback, redshirt sophomore
• Jakeen Harris, safety, fifth-year senior
• Jordan Houston, running back, senior
• MJ Morris, quarterback, sophomore
• Porter Rooks, wide receiver, senior
• Cedric Seabrough, tight end, redshirt sophomore
• Anthony Smith, wide receiver, redshirt sophomore
• Christopher Toudle, tight end, redshirt junior
• Daejuan Thompson, outside linebacker, redshirt freshman
Follow on Twitter:
@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal
Subscribe for free on YouTube:
For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central
Like on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheWolfpackCentral
Follow on Instagram/Threads:
ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS: Our NETWORK-WIDE, all-access pass allows you to read every premium message board in the Rivals.com network as part of a bundled add-on to your subscription!
Subscribers can add the All-Access Pass or a 3-Site Bundle in your account profile, under the Subscriptions tab: HERE
