First, Nash Morgan had to learn to walk as a quarterback. Finally, he’s ready to run.

Morgan rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns to lead Warren Central to a 28-14 win over Madison-Ridgeland Academy in its spring football game on May 8. It was a glimpse of a new facet of Morgan’s game that he’s ready to unleash heading into his third season as the team’s starting quarterback.

“We felt I finally got to where I can run it a little bit. Also, it just kind of opened up a little bit. Confidence, size, getting to where we can lower my pads and run behind them,” Morgan said. “It’s a different level. It’s so much fun just to run the ball. It’s awesome.”

Morgan, a junior, is closing in fast on Warren Central’s school record for career passing yardage. He only needs 737 yards to pass his uncle Rob, who is currently WC’s offensive coordinator, for No. 1 on the list. He was 12-of-20 passing for 100 yards and a TD vs. MRA.

Running has not been a big part of Nash’s repertoire so far, though. He’s carried the ball 67 times — a total that includes sacks — for 83 yards and three touchdowns the past two seasons.

Morgan nearly matched that total in the spring scrimmage. He scored from 8 yards in the first quarter and 1 yard in the the third, both on designed runs. Just before his second touchdown, he broke from the pocket for a 38-yard gain on third-and-19. He converted another third down with a scramble in the first quarter to set up his 33-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hall.

His father, Warren Central head coach Josh Morgan, said the latter two plays show where Nash can be most dangerous using his legs.

“He’s one of our better athletes, number one. He’s going to get us out of spots if they want to drop eight or seven into coverage. He’s the equalizer in that. He’s going to have that ability,” Josh Morgan said. “What we’ve got to make sure he’s doing is processing the pocket and throwing the ball on time, and not turning it into scramble backyard football. But he is going to be a weapon with his legs and we’re looking for a big year out of him. It’s hard to defend a true dual-threat quarterback and I think he can become a strong one of those.”

Having Nash Morgan as a running threat will be a big boost to Warren Central’s offense heading into the 2025 season. Running backs Eric Collins Jr. and Aden Greer, who both went over the 1,000-yard mark last season, are graduating. That leaves Morgan, who had 139 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, as the top returning rusher.

The Vikings did show against MRA that their running game can be potent as ever. Eight players combined for 242 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. Five players had at least 20 yards, led by sophomore running back Javid Scott with 81 and Morgan with 63.

“We’ve got a lot of guys. Some good running backs, great receivers and amazing O-line coming back. We’re ready to get it,” Nash Morgan said.

Even so, having another playmaker never hurts. Whether it’s escaping when a pass play breaks down or being able to score on a zone read near the goal line, Nash said just having to account for a mobile quarterback is a big asset to the offense.

“It opens our complete offense because it makes it harder to blitz,” he said. “You don’t only have to check the running back, wide receivers and tight end, you have to check me now too. It opens everything up.”