Torres' Take: What Oregon Needs From its Quarterback in 2021
The quarterback position at Oregon has been nothing if not fascinating to follow in recent memory.
Marcus Mariota was a generational college quarterback that was the ultimate blend of athleticism, technique and creativity--a true field general. Then we saw Vernon Adams Jr. absolutely light it up and surprise a ton of people, including myself. I don't think that transfer could have gone any better aside from his injury.
Then Oregon tried to strike gold again in the transfer portal with Montana State's Dakota Prukop, and that didn't go anywhere near according to plan. Enter a young true freshman Justin Herbert.
He went through some growing pains, but really hit stride and became one of the best quarterbacks that Eugene has ever seen, despite being limited by the play calling (see 2020 offensive rookie of the year award). Then in 2020 we got hit with a pandemic and a promising Tyler Shough didn't work out in a condensed and chaotic season.
People have differing views here, but a lot of the criticism he received wasn't necessarily fair considering everything that was at play. Looking at it from the outside, there was plenty of reason to be optimistic.
You had an Elite 11 participant with two full seasons to learn from Herbert before it was his time. Now he's at Texas Tech and for some reason getting NFL Draft hype after playing just seven college games. But that's an entirely different discussion.
Let's talk about this year.
Brown at Oregon fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
We're in fall camp and everything we've heard from the coaching staff says it's Anthony Brown's job to lose. There's plenty of talent in the quarterback room, with Jay Butterfield being the more traditional pocket passer, and Robby Ashford and Ty Thompson being the more do-it-all type of players.
So let's talk about what the Ducks need from their quarterback this season, with a traditional spring and now fall camp. For the sake of this story, let's assume Brown is QB1.
The Ducks don't need Brown to be something super special. That's not to say Brown isn't capable of being special, we saw him put together a strong resume in the ACC at Boston College.
Now he's in Eugene and subsequently a drastically better situation. The entire offensive line and then some returns to keep him upright and hold off pressure.
If I'm the offensive staff, these are the boxes I want him to check this season.
1. Take care of the rock
The quarterbacks on the elite teams in college football aren't turnover machines and we saw Brown fumble in the Fiesta Bowl. Now we can't call this a problem for him given how small of a sample size we have of him in an Oregon uniform, but you don't want your quarterback to be a liability.
Operate the offense, do your thing, and don't make poor decisions or take unnecessary risks like throwing across your body late over the middle. The simple stuff.
2. Stay healthy
Brown runs for a touchdown against Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl.
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Brown did a lot of his damage on the ground last year, and that comes with it's consequences. It's fun to watch and it helps keep the defense honest, but it also comes with more hits.
I have no doubt that Moorhead will draw up designed runs this season, but if I'm him I want Brown to take what the defense gives him when he decides to improvise, and avoid taking hits and get out of bounds. With no proven depth to speak of behind him, the Ducks would rather turn to one of the younger QB's in the spirit of experimentation than necessity.
3. Get the ball to the playmakers
Verdell at fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
The starting running back tandem of CJ Verdell and Travis Dye returns to tote the rock and give Brown reliable dump off/safety valve options if necessary. What's more, the entire wide receiving core from 2020 also returns, led by Johnny Johnson III, Devon Williams, Mycah Pittman and Jaylon Redd.
Pittman has yet to play a full season as a Duck, so there's definitely tons of reason to be excited for him. It feels like something good happens every time he touches the ball. Devon Williams also turned in multiple 100-yard receiving performances last year and looks to be settling in.
Kris Hutson has received ringing endorsements from just about everyone we've talked to and flashed a lot last season. Josh Delgado is another player that has seen some decent snaps and production since coming to Oregon in 2019.
And we haven't even talked about the three high school All-Americans that enter their freshmen seasons in Dont'e Thornton, Troy Franklin and Isaiah Brevard.
Franklin (11), Brevard (15) and Thornton (10) at fall camp in Eugene.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
The trio has looked the part since getting to Eugene and could really add a new dimension to this offense. I'd be pretty surprised if at least one of these three isn't playing very significant snaps at some point this season. Brevard didn't get on campus until June, so he's not as far along in his development, but he's still looked great in camp from what we've been able to see.
The tight ends are also as loaded as ever with Spencer Webb and DJ Johnson returning. Johnson was not seen at either of the two practices media has been able to attend so far in camp.
Cam McCormick makes his return from injury and looks good to go and you have two more freaks at tight end in Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao, who both stand a towering 6-foot-6 and are in the 250/260 range. Patrick Herbert also looks like a D1 tight end and Cooper Shults is a large human.
Ferguson (19) and Matavao (8) go through drills at fall camp.
Max Torres/Ducks Digest
4. Push the ball down the field
Brown sits in the pocket against Iowa State with Alex Forsyth and Ryan Walk pass protection.
The Ducks look like they have some crazy depth at the skill positions, so that should give Brown, should he ultimately be named the starter, the confidence to let it rip. That, on top of the strong offensive line play that is expected, should give him some room and time to get creative.
Brown looked like he was more willing to trust both his arm and his receivers last year than Shough, so I think it's a reasonable expectation. So many times last year we saw wide receivers get the ball thrown to them and they were either already close to the sideline, or they didn't have much space to operate, which severely limited their ability to get YAC (yards after catch).
The talent to work with is certainly promising and the Ducks are going to be a touch matchup for just about every defense they face this year.
Wide receiver recruits also tell me they want to see the Ducks take some more deep shots, so there's that added element of why it's an important dimension the offense needs to add.
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