Maryland has landed its portal quarterback after former NC State QB MJ Morris has announced his transfer destination following his official visit. "I just fell in love with the coaching staff and the people up there. The facilities are beautiful. That place is beautiful. I imagine myself living there as well, but just surrounded by a coaching staff that cares about you, how they talk about production and doing everything they can to put you in the NFL, I fell in love with it," Morris told IBG about why Maryland won out. Maryland was among the first schools to reach out to Morris, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback, after he announced his entry into the transfer portal on Dec. 4. The presence of Merci Falaise, Maryland's general manager who joined the program from NC State, loomed large as he spearheaded the Terps' portal pursuit. After spending time with Locksley and Gattis during his visit, Morris felt confident about his fit within the offense. “I love both of them. We had a lot of time together just going over the offense, talking about life outside. They’re really great people. I could talk to them all day,” Morris added. “I feel like I can go in there and be really comfortable in that offense. Learn it and learn it really quick, really have a chance to thrive in that type of offense.” “It was beautiful. It was definitely a great visit,” Morris added. “That was my first time ever going there, going that north to that area. It was definitely different but it was a good different.” Morris joins the program after spending two seasons at NC State where he became a hot topic in Raleigh in the fall. After NC State posted a 3-1 record in the four games that Morris started in 2023, the former four-star quarterback opted to sit out for the remainder of the season to preserve his redshirt season. "There was a lot of things that went into this decision. I want to say first of all this decision was never to enter the portal. The decision was never to think about leaving. The decision was really predetermined before the season even really started when in the beginning of the year they brought in Brennan Armstrong in,” Morris said in an interview after entering the portal. “Of course there were thoughts about leaving, people saying, 'Oh, you should get out of there.' But I loved NC State so much. I felt comfortable there, the fan base, the coaches, my brothers in the locker room, I really felt comfortable that I didn't want to leave at all, because that's where my heart was at." In nine total games with the Wolfpack, MJ Morris posted 1,367 passing yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 57.8% of his passes while adding 103 rushing yards and a touchdown on 81 carries. In four games with the Wolfpack in 2023, NC State posted a 3-1 record before announcing his decision to preserve his redshirt. Morris is expected to join the program as a midyear addition where he’ll get a chance to compete alongside Edge and Edwards Jr. for the starting job, tasked with replacing Taulia Tagovailoa who ended his career with three consecutive 3,000-yard passing seasons. MJ Morris joins the program with three years to play three. He is expected to move onto campus on January 2. Related Links Breaking down how former Terps fared in 2023One Maryland verbal solid, another shuts down recruitment (+) What Kevin Willard, players said after Maryland’s win vs. Alcorn StateSix finish in double-figures as Maryland dominates Alcorn State, 105-65
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