Meet Eric Morris, QB guru who found Heisman contender Cameron Ward and has North Texas in AAC competition

DENTON, Texas — Eric Morris’s workplace on the College of North Texas is adorned with the reminders of his place in faculty soccer historical past. On one wall is a signed Patrick Mahomes jersey from the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. Morris was Mahomes’ offensive coordinator beneath Kliff Kingsbury when he was recruited to Texas Tech and helped flip him into one of the vital productive quarterbacks in historical past. 

There’s the jersey patch on his again wall labeled “Leach” in Washinton State crimson, a tribute to his former faculty coach, Mike Leach. Sandwiched between Wes Welker and Danny Amendola, Morris was the standout diminutive receiver of observe for Leach at Texas Tech, posting almost 2,000 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns. When it was time to maneuver on from soccer, Leach gave Morris his first ever full-time teaching job as inside vast receivers coach at Wazzu. 

After which there’s the really humble beginnings of being a coach, a handful of glowing rings and two helmets on a shelf from the College of the Incarnate Phrase, a tiny personal catholic faculty in north San Antonio. It was there the place Morris actually paid his dues in his first teaching job, carrying pads and choosing up trash as a result of there was nobody else to do it. 

“Should you’ve by no means been to Incarnate Phrase’s campus, you are lacking out,” Morris advised CBS Sports activities. “My 2A highschool’s stadium’s lots higher than Incarnate Phrase’s.” 

He is not fallacious, although Shallowater (outdoors of Lubbock) has moved to 3A since he graduated. 

However from San Antonio to the Palouse to North Texas, there’s been one fixed: quarterbacks. The previous Leach receiver has quietly created his personal department of the Air Raid quarterback improvement tree that is beginning to flip right into a mighty oak. 

4 completely different quarterbacks Morris developed have began for FBS packages in 2024: Chandler Morris (North Texas), John Mateer (Washington State), Emmett Brown (San Jose State) and Cameron Ward (Miami). All 4 rank among the many best quarterbacks in faculty soccer. 

QBs coached by Eric Morris

And on the again of a sensational passing offense, North Texas is off to its first 5-2 begin since 2018, when this system made nationwide headlines for beating each Arkansas and SMU behind quarterback Mason Superb. TCU switch Chandler Morris has emerged as maybe the AAC’s greatest quarterback to get this program again on observe. 

“You are solely pretty much as good because the individuals round you, actually, however you have to have that man again there that you’ve confidence in, that may exit and make performs and make choices at the beginning,” North Texas quarterbacks coach Sean Brophy advised CBS Sports activities. “I feel that when you may have that, you stroll into the stadium each Saturday feeling such as you’ve obtained an opportunity to win the soccer sport.” 

Discovering diamonds within the tough

The modest Benson Stadium at UIW is the place Morris first noticed Ward throw. He was a no-name recruit who did not catch even the eye of Division II recruiters, partially because of restricted movie from enjoying in an possibility Slot-T system at Columbia (Texas). There can be flashes of untamed arm expertise and creativity, but it surely was hidden by throwing barely 12 passes a sport. 

Morris observed the ball leaping out of his fingers whereas warming up. He advised an assistant to put in writing down his identify. The footwork and fundamentals have been horrible, however the arm potential jumped off the web page. 

“He makes some throws on some outs and a few subject comebacks, and throws some go balls the place everybody is rather like, holy smokes,” Morris stated. “Who the heck is that child?” 

As quickly as he may get off the sector, Morris went to look at movie in his cramped workplace. The movie was restricted, however efficient. Actually although, it was watching Ward play basketball that made Morris’s eyes widen. Ward, the son of Columbia’s girls’s basketball coach Patrice Ward, was a bodily guard who averaged greater than 20 factors per sport and left because the main scorer at school historical past. Management and aggressiveness are crucial for a quarterback in a Morris offense. 

“I really like basketball gamers,” Morris stated. “I feel they’re in a position to see house higher than everyone. Mahomes, nice basketball participant. Cam Ward, nice basketball participant. Each have been level guards who may see the ground.” 

Nonetheless, Morris waited. Nobody was coming for an possibility quarterback with barely 1,000 yardspassing  to his identify by way of his junior season. There was no want to attract consideration. In fact, this is not the Nineties anymore. Within the age of Hudl and YouTube, hiding a participant is not simple. However on the FCS degree, enjoying within the Southland Convention, it wasn’t inconceivable. 

Ward was exploring JUCO choices when he acquired the UIW supply on Jan. 23, 2020. 5 days later, he dedicated. UIW had a quarterback, a very good one who earned freshman and sophomore All-America honors named Jon Copeland. After training all fall with out enjoying video games because of the pandemic, Ward saved catching up. By the point the spring season rolled round, he gained the beginning job. 

In six video games, Ward threw for two,260 yards and 24 touchdowns to win the Jerry Rice Award as the most effective freshman in FCS. The remainder is historical past. Morris led UIW to its first Division I playoffs look in 2018 and helped key a run to 10-3 and a No. 12 nationwide end within the AP/STATS FCS Ballot. When Morris moved from UIW to Washington State, Ward was certainly one of his first calls. Three years and three faculties later, Ward is a Heisman Trophy contender at Miami with a severe likelihood to be the primary quarterback picked within the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Virtually each Morris quarterback has a novel story. Mahomes was seen as a flight threat to play baseball like his dad. Mateer was dedicated to Central Arkansas and failed to face out on a struggling DFW highschool group. Brown turned down reported affords to stroll on at Washington State. Copeland was a gamer with nowhere to go after tearing his ACL. Morris handled accidents at Oklahoma and TCU. 

The types in the end differ between all of his quarterbacks, however comparable traits stay. Accuracy is a precedence. Processing potential comes at a premium. Within the fashionable sport, athleticism is a should to maintain performs alive. However greater than something, endurance to seek out the best match stands aside. 

“I actually assume the place we have benefitted is that quarterback recruiting occurs so quick,” Morris stated. “I feel we have at all times been affected person. All these guys get ranked early primarily based on how they threw at a camp or Elite 11. We strip it down a little bit bit extra. I do not supply anybody that I have never seen them throw in particular person, I’ve at all times been an enormous believer in that … there’s not an ideal science to it.” 

How Morris creates mismatches

Few individuals in historical past have discovered from better quarterback minds than Chandler Morris. In highschool, it was legendary Highland Park coach Randy Allen (who produced Matthew Stafford) and his father, longtime faculty coach Chad Morris. Between Oklahoma and TCU, he discovered beneath each Lincoln and Garrett Riley, together with Kendal Briles. 

For numerous causes, a lot of them health-related, issues did not work out for Morris in Fort Price. When he entered the switch portal, the selection was simple. 

“I advised [Morris] again in January, I wish to come play for you,” Chandler stated. “I wish to play for this offense. I used to be ending up faculty and there have been a whole lot of faculties reaching out, however he believed in me and trusted me that I used to be going to return play for him.” 

Briefly order, Morris is enjoying the most effective soccer of his profession. Outdoors of a disastrous loss to Texas Tech, Morris has cleared 300 yards and two touchdowns in each single sport. The Imply Inexperienced are No. 3 in passing offense and No. 29 in passer ranking as a group. 

It is the liberty that stands out essentially the most for the quarterback, whereas the coach is continually excited about the best way to assist his gamers course of ever quicker. At occasions, it is merely counting the field and giving choices. Different occasions, it is simplifying what his quarterbacks see. The benefit of the offense blended with copious movie examine implies that the sport slows down. Throughout follow, there is a premium placed on mimicking actual sport motion and expertise. 

“The development reads simply come naturally, if that makes any sense,” Chandler Morris stated. “It’s totally pure and type of taking educated pictures down the sector and understanding when to do this. It is making an attempt to actually simplify soccer and it makes your job simpler.” 

From a bodily perspective, the power and conditioning program beneath Morris places nice precedence on hip and shoulder mobility to assist prepare quarterbacks to get the ball out with ease. This is not an early 2000s Air Raid the place a lot of the sport can occur inside 10 yards. The quarterbacks go away with main velocity. Apply solely emphasizes these traits with precedence placed on getting ready motion {that a} quarterback will truly use throughout video games. Even when gamers go away this offense — Brown performs in a Run-and-Shoot at SJSU, Ward is in a diffusion at Miami — the traits stick with them. 

Keep in mind, that is at a time when defenses have slowly began to win in main soccer. Defensive coordinators are operating out two-safety shells and base nickel or dime seems to be. For Morris, each problem introduced simply creates the chance for a brand new answer. 

Brophy, 28, was an energetic quarterback at UIW when Morris took over this system. He has seen Morris’s brilliance from each a training and enjoying perspective. Morris’s background as a artful Air Raid slot receiver provides him a novel perspective on constructing offense and creating creases the place the protection by no means thinks to look. 

“I feel that Coach Morris is the most effective I have been round at seeing house and being inventive with manipulating house,” Brophy stated. “All of it type of goes again to Mike Leach and that tree … there’s a whole lot of nuance and intricacies in the case of build up the sport plan, however I feel that he does an elite job seeing house, attacking house and discovering matchups in opposition to the protection’s weaknesses.” 

Generally that may imply taking pictures down the sector. In a 41-37 comeback victory in opposition to FAU, Morris related on eight passes of 19 yards or extra with a mean depth of goal (ADOT) of 9.5 yards. In a 52-38 win over South Alabama in Week 1, Morris discovered creases extra within the quick sport, averaging an ADOT of solely 6.7 yards. 

The times of utilizing tempo as a main device are largely over, but it surely’s a device Morris retains in his again pocket. At different occasions, it is movement and distinctive formations, or run-pass choices protecting defenses on their heels. Items of it are window dressing, however that helps maintain the quarterback’s job manageable. 

“I feel the best way that the offense is constructed, once you’re within the sport and when bullets are flying, you’ve got obtained a bunch of solutions and retailers,” Brophy stated. “He does an excellent job of designing resilient sport plans that are not too sport plan particular for sure seems to be.” 

Each certainly one of these elements got here collectively in a single play within the wild win over FAU. Going through third-and-goal with just one minute remaining, Chandler made his personal play name: “Cooper Kupp.” North Texas arrange a bunch set to the sector and motioned a slot to the boundary. Then, Morris was in a position to make use of his self-professed greatest talent — throwing on the run — to discover a breaking DT Sheffield on the aim line for the game-winning landing with 58 seconds remaining. North Texas got here dwelling with an unbelievable victory. 

“I feel he [Morris] type of takes {the handcuffs} off you,” Chandler stated. “There’s occasions in my profession the place I felt like I used to be type of cuffed and he actually understands my strengths and places it within the sport plan each single week.” 

Getting ready for the second

The stage is a little bit greater now after buying and selling in 6,000-seat Benson Stadium in San Antonio for 30,000-seat DATCU Stadium in Denton. The indoor facility is larger than the full soccer amenities at his old style. He traded fluorescent lights for a stadium view and lots extra space to host his subsequent nice quarterback. There is not any extra roughing it. 

Yr 1 for Morris was inconsistent at greatest as UNT missed a bowl for less than the second time since 2016. He responded by including 77 new gamers to the roster, an uncommon transfer for a second-year head coach. The outcomes are slowly beginning to comply with. 

Regardless of a decent 52-44 loss to preseason AAC favourite Memphis on Saturday, North Texas has quietly develop into an element within the convention title race. The Imply Inexperienced boast the most effective passing offense within the convention by almost 100 yards over Memphis. A crucial two-game stretch with Tulane and No. 23 Military on the schedule creates main alternative. 

And by the best way, Morris’s success at UIW was transformational. After he left, this system determined to remain younger and offense-driven by hiring G.J. Kinne, who has since reworked into one of many hottest FBS teaching candidates at Texas State. The energetic coach of UIW is 31-year-old Clint Killough, a former Cardinals participant who coached beneath Morris as inside receivers coach. In two seasons, he’s 13-4 and 8-1 in Southland Convention play. UIW is quietly turning into a mini cradle of coaches. 

Chandler is a junior and might return in 2025 to assist UNT proceed its commonplace of success. However when Morris is finished, his coach might need yet one more nice story on his fingers. 

Drew Mestemaker waited his flip to play quarterback at Austin Vandegrift Excessive Faculty, however by no means obtained his likelihood after now-Louisville quarterback Deuce Adams transferred into this system. As an alternative, he opted to be an excellent soldier and performed each security and backup quarterback. 

“He may have began at most likely 99.4% of different faculties in Texas,” Brophy stated. “However he is only a robust child, an excellent child.” 

As a real freshman, Mestmaker has acquired the first backup snaps, throwing 5 passes in a few of the solely reside motion of his life in opposition to Texas Tech and Wyoming. He related with Miles Coleman for a 49-yard completion in opposition to the Pink Raiders to arrange a landing drive. 

If issues go proper, Mestemaker has an opportunity to be one other Morris success story. 

“I get enjoyment watching these guys and seeing them have success,” Morris stated. “To know that you are a small a part of them getting there, I feel that is a joyful second as a coach.”