Michael Penix Jr. praises new Penn State DC before National Championship

He was short, and he always will be short of that two-point conversion in Indiana at the beginning of the 2020 season. But ahead of Monday night’s National Championship game, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., who is a familiar foe for the Penn State football team, spoke about his journey. Indiana played a major role in his career, specifically newly hired Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

Washington QB says Tom Allen will do “great things” at Penn State

Without Indiana football, Michael Penix Jr. would have never met Kalen Debour and likely would have never transferred to Washington. Instead, Penix made the life-changing decision to go out west, and now the Washington Huskies will play for the 2023 National Championship. This week Penix was interviewed and spoke about Penn State football defensive coordinator Tom Allen and reflected on his time at IU.

When asked about Tom Allen, Penix said, “He’s a great coach. He’s a coach that it’s easy to love him because of the guy he is, the person he is. I feel like he cares about his players. He cares about the person more than the player. I feel like he’s a guy that will definitely do great things at Penn State. He’s going to bring great leadership. He’s going to bring great energy, intensity each & every day. He was always the same guy every day & always had that same energy, same spark, trying to help the team be better in any way that he could. I feel like they’re definitely getting a good coach.”

Michael Penix Jr. on Tom Allen, who signed him at Indiana: "He's a great coach. He's a coach that it's easy to love him because of the guy he is, the person he is. I feel like he cares about his players. He cares about the person more than the player. I feel like he's a guy that…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 6, 2024

Penn State football will not have to see Michael Penix Jr. again

Although the Big Ten is expanding and will include UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington, the Penn State football team will not have to face Michael Penix again. Penix is regarded as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and is finally out of eligibility. Penn State will host Washington next season on November 9th, but that team will look much different than the team we will see Monday night.

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