Is Michael Penix Jr left-handed? Looking at Washington QB's physical attributes and gameplay

Washington fans are not going to forget Michael Penix Jr's impact in a hurry. In two seasons with the Huskies, the quarterback has left an indelible mark of generational proportions.

The Huskies have risen from a fifth-place Pac-12 North finish in 2021 to contending for the CFP national championship title. With Penix's arrival in 2022, the Huskies went on to have an 11-2 finish.

Washington's last 10-win season before then was in 2018. His importance in Kalen DeBoer's team setup is obvious in the fact that he has passed for 9,289 yards and 66 touchdowns in just two seasons.

The quarterback is set for one final dance with the Huskies in the national championship game before he heads to the NFL draft. In anticipation of his appearance in the national championship game and preparation for the draft, we look at his preferred hand and other physical attributes.

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Is Michael Penix Jr left-handed?

Allstate Sugar Bowl - Texas vs Washington

Michael Penix Jr is indeed left-handed. The quarterback's preferred throwing hand is the left.

Left-handed quarterbacks are a rarity. Furthermore, successful left-handed quarterbacks are rarer still. The most recent left-handed quarterback to be picked in the first round of the NFL draft is Tua Tagovailoa.

Before Tagovailoa, Tebow was the last big-name left-handed quarterback in college football who got into the NFL in the draft's first-round. There have been others before Tebow and Tagovailoa, including Michael Vick, though.

Being a first-rounder has never been a guarantee for a successful NFL career. There have been numerous left-handed quarterbacks who didn't make the first-round of the draft but went ahead to have successful professional careers. Examples include Steve Young, Boomer Esiason, Jim Zorn, Mark Brunnell and Kenny Stabler.

Michael Penix's status as one of college football's top quarterbacks weighs hugely on his draft stock. The Heisman Trophy runner-up is considered by many as a legitimate first-round prospect despite the rarity of left-handed quarterbacks as first-round picks.

What seems to be the more serious concern about the quarterback for NFL scouts is Penix Jr's health. Before touching down at Washington, the quarterback first sojourned at Indiana for three seasons.

There, he suffered a season-ending injury each season. As a true freshman, he tore his ACL and suffered another torn ACL in his redshirt sophomore year. He appears to have moved past his injury woes, though, playing two full seasons for the Huskies without any serious injury trouble.

With his injury woes seemingly behind him, Penix is all set to start his professional career as a first-round pick.