The transfer portal has given Oregon another quarterback who has had struggles in the past and is pushing for a chance at playing in the NFL. Bo Nix I feel is more complete as a quarterback than Anthony Brown is (or was at this respective stage of his transfer), there’s just one major issue I have with Our Beloved Ducks’ program culture if Nix does end up starting for an extended period of time next season.
What will future quarterback recruits say about Oregon?
We are now six years removed from Hawaiian Houdini Marcus Mariota changing the quarterback recruiting game at Oregon, and two years from beloved superstar Justin Herbert. The trend seems to be that following a superstar quarterback playing out their full career, Oregon opts to grab a senior transfer, like Nix, Vernon Adams III, or Brown. Tyler Shough did get a chance during COVID season, there just has been minimal movement in the quarterback room compared to what is expected of the great recruits Oregon has been able to acquire.
Shough had a stint during COVID, it’s hard to measure that season fairly though to any party involved…
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Granted, this is an issue for many teams in college football, and is the toughest position to get right. It just feels as though with Oregon’s situation, they have been able to acquire the talent consistently, and either it’s not transferring, or coaches aren’t willing to take the plunge on letting them start. We end up seeing them for limited snaps, watch them struggle, and then it’s back to the bench with hope of starting next year (unless another senior transfer comes in).
I understand that job security for a coach leans heavily on winning games, but what was the point of letting a struggling Anthony Brown finish out the season? To preserve a chance at a College Football Playoff birth? To ensure when Miami’s head coaching job opens up, you’ll have the first crack at it? The only fair response I would give to the players is for continuity’s sake, which does make a great deal of difference of course.
I know it’s a jab from the stands, but I need to see an Oregon coach let a highly recruited quarterback fall on their face again. Bring the old formula back. Herbert was at least given that shot (even if it was due to injury), and it seems with how he’s performing in the NFL, he didn’t even come close to reaching his full potential at Oregon.
Remember how it felt every offseason with this guy in the room?
If Cristobal ended the 2021 season 4-8 and we had a quarterback set up for success next year, ready to take the reigns and lead this team, I would be satisfied with that. Sure, the season would have been difficult to stomach all year, isn’t that how it ended up though anyway with the pair of Utah losses (not to mention, the Stanford debacle)?
I personally cannot stomach another Oregon season in quarterback purgatory. I want to believe that Nix is simply acting as an insurance policy to the unbelievably talented quarterback room Oregon already possesses, it’s hard to be sure though with how this season has gone. Having experience at the position only elevates the floor the team starts on, which has never appealed to me as being the potential a team needs to accomplish great (championship level) things.
I hope Brown finishes this last game strong, best of luck to him in the future.
Taking a risk and letting the team potentially lose a few games in a season to allow a highly talented quarterback to grow and learn from game experience is what I need from the Ducks in 2022. This will be tough with a new coach, so if Nix needs to start a game or two, fine, a season opener against (potentially reigning national champions) Georgia isn’t exactly the most optimal tune up game for a brand new starter anyway. If the season ends, however, and we have no idea again who’s going to start the following season, or end up with another senior transfer to fill in for the most important role in football, I just cannot trust the process of letting quarterback’s develop at Oregon on the bench.
What do you think? Are you expecting Nix to start? If he does, what does this mean to the program’s recruiting future? What do you expect of our new coaching staff and the quarterback room this Spring?
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo Via: Twitter
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Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.