Washington Huskies quarterback battle: Jacob Sirmon vs. Dylan Morris vs. Kevin Thomson

There are a handful of two-man quarterback battles at marquee Power 5 conference schools around the country in college football, but the University of Washington in the Pac-12 might have the only legitimate three-way race among that group. The Huskies have to replace 2019 starter Jacob Eason, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

This was to be a two-man race as well between sophomore Jacob Sirmon and redshirt freshman Dylan Morris (freshman Ethan Garbers is on the roster but not considered a realistic candidate), but a third name was thrown into the ring last week when Sacramento State quarterback Kevin Thomson, the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and an FCS All-American last year, announced he was heading to Washington as a graduate transfer.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Thomson, who is from Seattle, finished third in the 2019 Walter Payton Award voting (FCS version of Heisman Trophy) in throwing for 3,216 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 619 yards and a team-best 12 TDs.

Thomson attended UNLV out of high school in 2014 and redshirted. He didn't see any action in 2015 due to a torn UCL and transferred to Sacramento State following that season. Thomson didn't play until 2017 with the Hornets due to that injury, and the NCAA granted him an extra two seasons of eligibility. Washington, by the way, hosts Sacramento State on Sept. 12.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Sirmon was the likely leader in the clubhouse before the Thomson news simply as Sirmon at least saw action in three games last year, albeit very briefly (three pass attempts). Morris (6-foot, 195) has yet to see the field but ended his high school career seventh all-time in Washington in passing yards, just ahead of Eason.

The Huskies have a new head coach in Jimmy Lake and new offensive coordinator in John Donovan, who has said UW will hold open competition this summer. Washington didn't have a single spring practice due to the coronavirus. Our guess is Thomson gets the call due to his experience and mobility, the latter of which Sirmon and Morris don't have.

Washington is a +350 third-favorite on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to win the Pac-12 title and opens with a huge non-conference game at home vs. Michigan on Sept. 5. The Wolverines should open around 2-point favorites at William Hill.

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