Major Quarterback Battle this Offseason

[David Marsh]

Shough hasn't performed well down the stretch this year. The pressures are really getting to him and he is making poor decisions. Instead of extending plays he is ticking the ball and trying to run.... Usually for no where near enough yards. 

Anthony Brown will probably end up seeing some significant snaps in the Fiesta Bowl and there is the possibility that he returns next year. I recall reading somewhere that grad transfers will have an extra year of eligibility but they can't change schools... Not sure of that is still true. 

Then there are the youngins of Butterfield, Millen (though I wouldn't be surprised if he changes positions), Ashford and incoming freshman Thompson. The big question is... Does Shough hold onto his starting job or not? 

[Charles Fischer]

This will be a great debate for the entire off-season because we've all seen players come back with fire-in-their-eyes and perform well the next year.  Or they transfer out...
 

I would not like both Shough and Brown transferring out as we would start another year with an inexperienced QB...not good.

[Duckpop22]

The Big Fish and I were discussing this very thing on the phone (Yeah, I know the cool kids). I have heard such incredible things about Butterfield and Thompson that part of me wants to say, "Out with the old, and in with the new!" After all, once the look of real fear comes into a young QB's eye, can it ever really be expunged? 

But, experience is a real attribute in life and in quarterback play. So, I think the bowl game is key for Mr. Shough, and the offseason to come even more crucial. If I had to predict, I would say we will see a new QB1 come next fall, but I'm willing to be wong, and to be glad of it.

[30Duck]

I'm going to trust that whoever the quarterback is next season, he's going to be GOOD. If he turns out to be Shough maybe he has a transformational season to match Dennis Dixon. If Brown stays and comes out on top, he's a veteran, so positive with that. Butterfield, Ashford, probably the longshots, along with the new guy, Thompson, who is receing acolade after acolade, and could be the quarterback that dreams are made of. 

[Haywarduck]

Shough and Brown are the short term answers. Who leads us to winning in the bowl game, not sure.

The long-term, it is going to be one of the young guns, IMHO. I do think once a guy steps on the field you have a sense of if he can lead the team. The players also get this sense too. Right now nobody seems to be leading the team as we have come to expect. Brown may be the short term answer, but long-term we have an exciting mystery to see unfold.

My bet is before next season we see some transfers, and our highly touted freshman beats out the dark horse, Ashford.

[Drake]

The game has not slowed down for Shough. He is struggling trying to run our offense. I don’t have a lot of confidence in his abilities right now, and would like to see Brown. Tough coaching decision to replace your starting QB for the Fiesta Bowl. 

[OC Duck]

The last game was very telling about Shough. He had either lost confidence in himself or the coaches have lost confidence in him. There were very few passes downfield and the one I remember vividly was the interception. It also seems to me that he is struggling with the run part of the RPO. The first couple of games it looked Like he was doing a good job of identifying where the linebacker was going and pull the ball out of the running backs hands and get some nice gains. Recently however it seems like he is confused and misses some pretty big opportunities to keep the ball and run. A couple of fumbles have also occurred because of this indecision. I am hopeful that during this two weeks off that he regains his confidence and is able to run the offense more like he did earlier in the season. I always have to remember how much we expect out of these kids. A lot of pressure for someone just a couple years removed from high school. I am excited about the future with all of our high commits currently at Oregon or soon to arrive. 

[Icy42]

I agree with most above that Shough and/or Brown are short term solutions...long term, I'm predicting that by mid-season next year whoever the future young gun answer is, will emerge and never look back...I'm betting either Butterfield or Thompson...the beauty of it all is that we will have enough skill and experience around the position, we can be like the Bama's and LSU's of the past and win while we search for that one wonderful young man to take us to that next level!!

[Mudslide]

Do not sleep on Ashford as a main contributor next year.  I saw him play and he was awesome...touch, powerful arm, fast, good decision making, and he's quite an athletic runner.  IMO he was THE electric QB in the Polynesian Bowl, which included Tagovailoa.  He had 19 D1 offers in spite of the fear he'd turn to baseball.  If he doesn't turn pro in that sport, I think our Ducks have a real gem that is going to shine.

[Jon Sousa]

On 12/21/2020 at 5:04 PM, 30Duck said:

I'm going to trust that whoever the quarterback is next season, he's going to be GOOD. If he turns out to be Shough maybe he has a transformational season to match Dennis Dixon. If Brown stays and comes out on top, he's a veteran, so positive with that. Butterfield, Ashford, probably the longshots, along with the new guy, Thompson, who is receing acolade after acolade, and could be the quarterback that dreams are made of. 

Totally agree.

 

[TheRunningDuck]

I can only think of 4-5 QBs that have been great their first year of play at U of O. Fouts, Miller, Mariota, and Herbert. Most struggle and even Herbert was not a strong finisher of games until the last year. Shough seems at least average. Fans always think the new recruit will be the thing. Shough stopped going deep in the middle of the year so I wonder if there was an undisclosed injury. His main fault seems to be vision in the middle of the field as he does not always see the defenders. Anyway, the coaches know what goes on in practice and will make an educated choice. Prepare for lots of transfers as we cannot play all the higher level of recruits we now get and the transfer rules have been loosened.

 

[Haywarduck]

14 hours ago, Mudslide said:

Do not sleep on Ashford as a main contributor next year.  I saw him play and he was awesome...touch, powerful arm, fast, good decision making, and he's quite an athletic runner.  IMO he was THE electric QB in the Polynesian Bowl, which included Tagovailoa.  He had 19 D1 offers in spite of the fear he'd turn to baseball.  If he doesn't turn pro in that sport, I think our Ducks have a real gem that is going to shine.

Completely agree, and he came in at a big disadvantage with little prep time or knowledge of the system. The offseason will tell which guy has it and don't count out Ashford or Thompson with plenty of reps and prep. I can't make out the next great Duck qb so far, but we will know when we see him.

The other item is there is little information coming out of practices at this point. In the past we would hear rumors of a freshman killing it in practice, Herbert, LaMike, but we now hear nothing. Next year will be the time to, again, hear the rumors of the next great talent moving their way through the masses.

[30Duck]

The best answer for this I feel is that Brown starts against Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl, gets all the starter reps in hopefully, Spring ball, and leads the team in to season opening win in the 'Shoe, next year.

 I don't see how any of the other contenders will be better, against Iowa State, or starting next season. If Brown doesn't stay then I see it as  completely open and one of the guys will rise to the job. 

[David Marsh]

4 hours ago, TheRunningDuck said:

I can only think of 4-5 QBs that have been great their first year of play at U of O. Fouts, Miller, Mariota, and Herbert. Most struggle and even Herbert was not a strong finisher of games until the last year. Shough seems at least average. Fans always think the new recruit will be the thing. Shough stopped going deep in the middle of the year so I wonder if there was an undisclosed injury. His main fault seems to be vision in the middle of the field as he does not always see the defenders. Anyway, the coaches know what goes on in practice and will make an educated choice. Prepare for lots of transfers as we cannot play all the higher level of recruits we now get and the transfer rules have been loosened.

 

Great points... 

I do think Oregon fans have become very spoiled when it comes to quarterbacks. 

In reverse order (most recent to past).

Herbert, Adams, Mariota, Thomas, Masoli, Dixon, Clemons, Fife, and Harrington. 

All save Adams and Fife were MULTI-YEAR starters.

That list takes us back to to 2000 and there are some incredible gems on it. Shough may progress to their level but he may not. 

 

[David Marsh]

7 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

His other 'fault,' he does not have a big arm.

Shough's arm strength is definitely a factor. When looking Shough's interceptions this year a good few of them needed more air under them to go over the top of the defender and allow the receiver to make a play on the ball. Obviously this was not the case for all of his interceptions but going back and watching the film his interceptions are under throws.

Maybe it isn't arm strength at all but still...

[DuckAF]

On 12/24/2020 at 10:26 PM, Drake said:

The game has not slowed down for Shough. He is struggling trying to run our offense. I don’t have a lot of confidence in his abilities right now, and would like to see Brown. Tough coaching decision to replace your starting QB for the Fiesta Bowl. 

His stats are better than Herbert's were. He won his first 3 games ever, against Pac-12 teams. He's made some poor decisions, but part of the issue is that we aren't running the ball as well, and the play-calling down the stretch has gotten conservative, forcing the defense to win games like Cal and OSU, which they weren't able to do.