Who is Chandler Morris? Virginia QB aiming for return vs Duke
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Virginia football, one of the top contenders for the ACC championship and subsequently a College Football Playoff berth, could be without a key contributor vs. Duke.
The No. 19 Cavaliers (No. 19 CFP) are hoping for quarterback Chandler Morris to be available on Saturday, Nov. 14, against Duke, another team with one loss in ACC play.
Virginia is coming off its first ACC loss of the season against Wake Forest, in a game where Morris exited in the first half due to injury.
The first-year transfer from North Texas is a sixth-year senior with 2,088 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to five interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 214 yards with four scores.
Here’s everything to know about Morris, from his playing status to his college football path.
Who is Chandler Morris?
Morris has been around the block and is aiming to reach the College Football Playoff in his sixth and final season.
Morris, the son of former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, started his career at Oklahoma. He then transferred to TCU and then North Texas before landing with Virginia.
Morris started TCU’s first game under first-year coach Sonny Dykes in 2022 but exited in the third quarter of the Horned Frogs‘ game against Max Duggan due to injury. Duggan, of course, went on to lead TCU to the national championship.
Morris was then set to start again for TCU in 2023, but an injury midway through the season opened the door for Josh Hoover, who’s still the starter with the Horned Frogs. Hoover also didn’t give the job back to Morris.
“Football just wasn’t loving me back,” Morris told ESPN on Nov. 3. “It’s kind of hard to love something if it’s not loving you back.”
Morris stayed healthy in 2024 working with QB guru Eric Morris, the head coach at North Texas. He passed for 3,774 yards with 31 touchdowns to 12 interceptions before transferring to Virginia for his last season.
It took years for things to go Morris’ way, dating back to his time as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was initially committed to Arkansas but flipped his commitment to Oklahoma after his dad was fired by the Razorbacks. Morris played sparingly behind Spencer Rattler in 2020 before transferring.
In his first career start, Morris threw for 461 yards, rushed for 70 yards and scored three touchdowns in TCU’s 30-28 upset over No. 12 Baylor in 2021. It was supposed to be his breakout, but life kept throwing curveballs.
The Highland Park, Texas, native is long removed from being a 3-star recruit signing with Oklahoma, and he’s looking to make the most of his final year at Virginia, one that’s off to a glowing start.
Chandler Morris injury update
Morris was listed as questionable on the ACC availability report on both Nov. 12 and 13 ahead of Virginia’s game against Duke.
However, it appears he’s trending to play, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Thamel reported Nov. 14 that Morris is progressing toward playing against the Blue Devils, which is certainly a boost for the Cavaliers in a pivotal point in the season.
Morris took a big hit to the head against Wake Forest in the second quarter on Nov. 8. He exited the game for the locker room and didn’t return, and has been progressing through concussion protocol this week, according to Thamel.
Morris was replaced by Daniel Kaelin, a Nebraska transfer, against the Demon Deacons. Kaelin finished the game 18 of 28 passing for 145 yards along with six carries for 49 yards in the 16-9 loss.
Chandler Morris stats
Here are Morris’ year-by-year stats in college:
- 2020 (Oklahoma): 3 of 5 passing for 39 yards; five carries for 44 yards with two touchdowns
- 2021 (TCU): 50 of 76 passing for 695 yards with three touchdowns; 25 carries for 83 yards with a touchdown
- 2022 (TCU): 18 of 27 passing for 145 yards with a touchdown; six rushes for 24 yards
- 2023 (TCU): 133 of 203 passing for 1,532 yards with 12 touchdowns to five interceptions; 45 carries for 249 yards with three touchdowns
- 2024 (North Texas): 322 of 510 passing for 3,774 yards with 31 touchdowns to 12 interceptions; 60 carries for 242 yards with four touchdowns
- 2025 (Virginia): 192 of 288 passing for 2,088 yards with 12 touchdowns to five interceptions; 49 carries for 214 yards with four touchdowns
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Chandler Morris? Virginia QB aiming for return vs Duke
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