A more mature TCU quarterback Chandler Morris ready for his moment against Colorado
When Chandler Morris takes the field on Saturday, it’ll be the one-year anniversary of one of the hardest days of his life.
Just as as the TCU quarterback was beginning to find his rhythm in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes, Morris went down with a knee injury on a routine scramble. The injury kept him out of the lineup for a weeks where he hoped to return as the starter, but with every breakout performance by Max Duggan, Morris saw the writing on the wall.
He became the best teammate he could be and focused on learning instead of moping. Now Morris will get another shot at being TCU’s starting quarterback against the same Colorado team. Except Saturday’s matchup will be on a much bigger stage than last year’s blowout in Boulder.
“I’m super excited and I’ve been waiting on it,” Morris said. “As a competitor, all you want to do is get out and compete with your teammates. It’s been a long time coming and I’ve learned a lot and I’m excited.”
There’s nothing more agonizing for a competitor like Morris than to feel as powerless as he did at times last year watching from the sideline. It’s the ultimate definition of bittersweet. His team was experiencing unprecedented success, but Morris had little impact on the field as Duggan became a Heisman Trophy runner-up.
All of that helped him develop a deeper appreciation for the game.
“(I learned) to not take a day for granted,” Morris said. “Showing up each practice and falling in love with your job and encouraging your teammates. There’s something to be said about that and just showing up each day like it’s your last day.”
Last season was a crash course on maturity and Morris passed with flying colors, earning the respect of his teammates and head coach Sonny Dykes.
“He just seems different,” Dykes said. “I think Chandler, just like our program, is further along. I think he’s a little bit more established, but still has a lot to prove. I think he feels more confident, he feels like he has a really good supporting cast and doesn’t have to do it himself. I think he got to see the formula to winning football games last season.”
Dykes isn’t the only one that’s noticed the change. Tight end Jared Wiley, who could be one of Morris’ favorite targets this year and as one of the few returning offensive starters, said he has complete confidence in his quarterback’s ability to keep the offense among the best in the country.
“He’s just matured a lot from last year,” Wiley said. “I think he’s really grown as a leader on our offense. He’s not always the most vocal guy on the team, but he leads with his actions and how he practices everyday. You can tell a lot of the younger guys and older guys are starting to gravitate towards that.”
The maturation process isn’t linear, though. There were challenges and tough nights for Morris. So who did the quarterback turn to when he was at his lowest?
His father Chad Morris, a longtime Texas coaching legend that had stints at Clemson, SMU and Arkansas throughout his 30-year coaching career. As someone’s that been through his fair share of quarterback battles, Morris’ father was the perfect person to turn to.
“I was definitely leaning on my dad a lot,” Morris said. “He’s been there for me, everyday every night. He knows the balance between dad and coach. Anytime I want to talk football, he’ll help me on the coaching side. But a lot of the game is mental and he’ll help me on that part. When I’m struggling, he’ll know when to be dad and he’ll help out a ton.”
Morris showed a lot of growth in the intangibles area, which is always the hardest thing to predict for a quarterback. What really made Duggan special last year wasn’t his speed or deep shots, it was his warrior mentality and toughness.
Morris is a different player and will have to find his own way to inspire teammates on the field. He likely won’t lower his shoulder to truck a defender like Duggan did, but he’s capable of making his own signature plays.
The biggest thing is knowing when and when not to try force those plays, which is another area Morris has shown growth.
“Chandler is capable of making those big plays, but I think he’s learned that he doesn’t have to do that,” Dykes said. “It’s just take the consistent play and keep stacking those and move on.”
The Morris that takes the field on Saturday is a more mature, more appreciative version than the one that went down in the second half against the Buffaloes.
This version of Morris isn’t planning on coming on Saturday trying to make a statement, he’s coming to his team to a win whether that means he throws for 300 yards or just over 100.
“I want to go out there and be the best I could possibly be,” Morris said. “I want to take it one day at a time and just be in the moment where my feet are and to be the best teammate I can be.”
This story was originally published September 1, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
