NC State benching QB Brennan Armstrong, to start MJ Morris

NC State will start sophomore quarterback MJ Morris in place of graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong this Saturday against Marshall, coach Dave Doeren announced Monday.

Morris was rated a four-star high school prospect by Rivals and a three-star by 247Sports in the Class of 2022.

He saw the field as a true freshman when starter Devin Leary went down with injury. He helped the Wolfpack beat Virginia Tech and Wake Forest before being injured the next week against Boston College.

Morris finished 2022 with 648 yards, seven touchdowns, one interception and one rushing touchdown while completing 60.5 percent of his passes.

Armstrong appeared in parts of five seasons for Virginia (2018-22) and threw for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns during the 2021 campaign. After a lackluster 2022, he transferred to NC State to use his remaining eligibility, but has struggled through five games.

Armstrong has thrown for 971 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions with a 58.8 completion percentage. NC State has gone 3-2 (1-1 ACC) and ranks 94th in FBS in passing yards per game (214.8) and tied for 88th in scoring offense (25.4 ppg).