Washington G.M. Scot McCloughan has apparent interest in a Pac-12 quarterback. . . not named Marcus Mariota.
McCloughan, hired in January to stock a roster that has underachieved for the past two seasons, attended Mariota’s Pro Day workout in March. McCloughan returned to the Pacific Northwest this week to witness the Pro Day workout of Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday.
Halliday, who entered the season as a quarterback with potential to get noticed, broke an ankle against USC. Now recovered, he threw passes for scouts under unique conditions, via Jacob Thorpe of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. With subpar lighting and turf in the WSU practice facility, Halliday and former Seahawks quarterback and Washington coach Jim Zorn went outside, with Halliday throwing in windy, rainy, 40-degree conditions.
Per multiple reports, McCloughan was present for the workout.
“I’ve been doing this ever since I was a little kid,” Halliday said of the outdoor conditions. “I’m from Spokane, played football here. It doesn’t affect me, but it does affect the ball a little bit. It is what it is, and every ball I threw I threw into the wind.”
Halliday acknowledged that he’s still not 100 percent. The injury and the truncated senior season likely make Halliday destined to be taken in the later rounds of the draft, if at all. Regardless, he’ll get a chance to develop under the radar, quietly reaching whatever his potential may be -- and possibly making the team that takes a flyer on him very happy.