Top 2022 Dual-Threat QB MJ Morris Talks his Recruitment
MJ Morris is one of the top-ranked dual-threat quarterbacks in the class of 2022. A highly coveted prospect out of Pace Academy, with lots of offers to show for it. But you don’t get to where MJ is without a lot of hard work.
“I am the hardest worker on the field; I know that nobody is going to outwork me.” Just like the early bird gets the worm, a hard worker usually receives the rewards. MJ’s hard work is beginning to pay off after multiple offers pour in from some of the country’s top programs.
Morris is currently a junior at Pace Academy. Pace is the same school where fellow Bulldogs attended, like Andrew Thomas and Jarmaree Salyer. “I have watched Andrew Thomas; he was at Pace Academy when I was in sixth and seventh grade. I was watching him on Friday nights. Jarmaree Salyer, he was the same thing. I was watching Trey Blount, the receiver. Then, Jermaine Burton, I used to work out with him and throw some routes to him. Definitely seen those people on TV.”
Morris watched Andrew Thomas go through Athens before becoming the number four pick in the NFL Draft. Pace Academy possesses a serious pedigree as a pipeline for high-quality players. Morris is looking to add to the tradition that has been set at Pace. Morris described his strengths as, “I am a true dual-threat quarterback. I am a pass-first guy in the pocket, but if I have to make a play with my feet running the ball, I can do that too. I am the hardest worker on the field; I know that nobody is going to outwork me. I would say that is what I love about my game the most.”
MJ is a two-sport athlete who has enjoyed the games of football and baseball for years. “I’ve been playing baseball since I was seven years old, which is one of my loves. I love football and baseball equally.” We have seen several current top NFL players excel in baseball like Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. Both are currently starting quarterbacks in the National Football league.
Quarterback is one of the most critical positions on the field, which needs a lot of leadership qualities. So, what type of leader is MJ Morris? “I would say more in the past I’ve been a ‘do it by example,’ but now I am trying to be more of a vocal leader, I have both of those strengths. If I am trying to start in college as a true freshman, I need to be the best leader I can be to win over that team. I would say I am both.”
While being strong in the passing game and as a runner, MJ has made it his primary goal to improve in the little things. Morris spelled out his areas of focus, “I feel I have improved a lot this season. My main goal this season was to work on the mental part of the game, like reading defenses, knowing what I’m doing before the ball is even snapped. I feel like I’m doing a lot better this year doing that.”
Morris added, “The second thing would be getting the ball out of my hand quickly. Making the right read, focusing on the little things, and doing the little things right. Those are going to be the things that carry onto college and eventually the NFL.”
Like Ferris Bueller once taught us that, “Life moves around pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Morris has said that he is taking his recruitment process slow, “My position is to take it slow and just find the best place for me. I don’t want to rush anything. I know quarterbacks usually commit early, but me and my family just want to take it slow and make sure I pick the right choice.”
Morris has enjoyed the process so far and wants to make sure that he finds the best fit for him and his future. Morris describes how his recruitment has gone so far as “The recruitment has been a blessing so far. It’s been great so far. The thing is I can’t make a decision between any top schools because I haven’t been able to visit that many places. I’ve only been to Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and I’ve seen Florida, but I’ve never visited. The next thing for me is to be able to visit the schools and be on that campus and seeing what it feels like.”
With offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, just to name a few, what is Morris looking for in a college? “I am looking for a college where I can see myself playing there and being there for the next 3 to 4 years of my life, not ever thinking of transferring or having a sense of I don’t like it. I want to be comfortable around the players and the coaching staff, and be able to have them help me to be ready and hopefully become the player that can play in the NFL one day.”
With COVID-19 shutting down any in-person contact between coaches and recruits, it has forced the industry to adjust to the way they recruit athletes. Text messaging has been a big part of the process for years but never more critical than now. Many schools are trying their hardest to land the talented quarterback, “I would say, Stanford, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Florida State, and I’d say Michigan, Mizzou, and Nebraska. I would say those are the schools that have been the most consistent.”
MJ continued by saying, “I would kind of say they are having conversations. Some schools would like to send you a text, and you can tell they are sending it to everybody like a generated text. These schools, I actually have conversations with the head coach, the offensive coordinator, and the quarterback’s coach. I feel like I am connected and building a great relationship with them.”
Since the hiring of Todd Monken, he has made Morris the priority at quarterback. Monken and Morris have built a relationship over the summer.
“I love Georgia’s offense. I love Coach Monken because Coach Monken and I have a really good relationship; we’ve been talking since June. We’ve been talking for a while. I love how Coach Monken does his offense; I could definitely see myself in that offense one day.”
The transformation of the Georgia offense is far from a conclusion. With delays due to COVID-19 and injuries, Monken continues to build on his system. The pass-first mentality and mobility of Morris make him an excellent fit for Georgia’s new offense.
But before Morris makes his decision anytime soon, he is focused on bringing a state championship back to Pace Academy. “High School has been going great. We got a win yesterday 50-14; that was a big win for us. We started off kind of slow, but the offense is starting to click. I think we have a great chance to win states this year.”