Who Is Going To Be The Ducks Quarterback In 2021?

[30Duck]

After the Fiesta Bowl, all Ducks fans are asking the same question?

[Charles Fischer]

The hardest question at that position in a long time, and we have a long off-season to discuss it.  Spring football could be fun to see some of the new faces and if they shine right away...

[David Marsh]

Early front runners in my mind are ... Shough, Butterfield, and Thompson ... if Brown decides to stay throw him in there too. Though I think with a solid off season Butterfield is going to catch up on Shough and Brown. Thompson is young but you can't discount the potential.

[Jon Sousa]

14 minutes ago, Charles Fischer said:

The hardest question at that position in a long time, and we have a long off-season to discuss it.  Spring football could be fun to see some of the new faces and if they shine right away...

Hopefully we can have a somewhat "normal" spring. COVID will still be ruling the world in March. If ever there was a year to start your spring a little later, this is the year. Last year was the year to start early, but we didn't. (But, how could we know?)

[Jon Sousa]

8 minutes ago, David Marsh said:

Early front runners in my mind are ... Shough, Butterfield, and Thompson ... if Brown decides to stay throw him in there too. Though I think with a solid off season Butterfield is going to catch up on Shough and Brown. Thompson is young but you can't discount the potential.

Totally agree here, David.  Any of the top three you mention could run away with it.

[ptdduck]

Impossible to say but I think you'll see one or two of the QBs transfer out.  Butterfield doesn't seem to fit the offense IMO.  Seems more like a pure passer and less of a runner.  If the coaches really want the QBs to run the football, I suggest giving Robbie Ashford a legitimate look. He's a big time athlete.  Ty Thompson is an elite talent.   

Edited January 13, 2021 by ptdduck

[David Marsh]

50 minutes ago, ptdduck said:

Impossible to say but I think you'll see one or two of the QBs transfer out.  Butterfield doesn't seem to fit the offense IMO.  Seems more like a pure passer and less of a runner.  If the coaches really want the QBs to run the football, I suggest giving Robbie Ashford a legitimate look. He's a big time athlete.  Ty Thompson is an elite talent.   

My only hesitation with Ashford currently is that he is very low on the depth chart at the moment... which can obviously change with a good spring and fall. Butterfield was solidly running with the threes and I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the next step and really challenges for the starting spot.

It is true he is not a true runner... but neither is Shough and Shough's biggest problem down the stretch wasn't his running ability but more his decision making. He would often keep the ball when he should hand it off.

Having a more pure passer would open up the run game, even for the QB, as it could stretch the field vertically and as a result the run game opens up for the runningbacks and the quarterback run. Moorhead's desire to run the quarterback isn't to make the quarterback a rusher to the degree of a runningback but make the defense respect the quarterback run and defend against it. There needs to be some qb runs in the game for that to work but it shouldn't be the quarterbacks primary job to run the ball.

Right now I feel Oregon needs a solid passer who can run the ball a few times a game more than someone who is a stronger runner. Ideally we want a Marcus Mariota type who can do both things incredibly well... Mariota was a really rare talent. I would like a Vernon Adams or Justin Herbert type QB who can really stretch the field with their arm ... granted VA had some  major durability issues and Herbert didn't have a receiving corp that could reliably allow him to stretch the field. 

Depending too much on the quarterback run just crowds the box and makes the defense's job easier.

[Orebcker]

Always love a QB who can burn you with his feet.  Over the years UO has been blessed with the likes of Ogburn, Akili, Dixon, Masoli, D Thomas and Mariota, all of whom were nightmares to opposing DC's.

[Haywarduck]

My big fear is any of the older guys are going to have flaws, or the new guys generally means, fraught with mistakes. We need another generational talent, or the qb position is going to be an area of weakness. 

I have to pick our new guy to be the next generational talent, Ty Thompson is our next great qb! I have to say I still like Ashford, so who really knows?

[David Marsh]

1 hour ago, Haywarduck said:

My big fear is any of the older guys are going to have flaws, or the new guys generally means, fraught with mistakes. We need another generational talent, or the qb position is going to be an area of weakness. 

I have to pick our new guy to be the next generational talent, Ty Thompson is our next great qb! I have to say I still like Ashford, so who really knows?

Oregon has been blessed with two generational talents in the same decade. 

I do think Thompson is going to be the next big quarterback at Oregon but does he need a few years to prepare is the question. 

I think no matter who is the starting qb there will be compromises made in terms of skillset. Butterfield may not be a great runner but maybe a great passer. 

I watched some of the masoli games and the scheme was what really helped him out. He was not a great passer (lots of passes to open recievers that recievers still had to go out of their way to catch) but he was a great runner. 

I think just as big as who is the quarterback is who makes up the supporting cast? That will make even an average quarterback look great. 

[Drake]

QB1 should have a strong passing game. We have some outstanding young receivers and they will need to get the ball for this team to be successful. We seem to be loaded at receiver, and are still in search of a featured running back. 

I think Cristobal likes to showcase his big offensive linemen. He really wants to run the ball and wear down the opponents defensive line. However, our strength currently appears to be at receiver, and not necessarily at running back. Until that changes, I think the game plan should be to feature a passing attack to open up our running game. 

I don’t pretend to know who is best suited for that type of game, but it seems to open the door for Butterfield. That would allow Thompson the opportunity to be a redshirt candidate. 

[BigDucksFan]

6 hours ago, Drake said:

I don’t pretend to know who is best suited for that type of game, but it seems to open the door for Butterfield. That would allow Thompson the opportunity to be a redshirt candidate. 

I like your thoughts here. 

[ptdduck]

19 hours ago, David Marsh said:

My only hesitation with Ashford currently is that he is very low on the depth chart at the moment... which can obviously change with a good spring and fall. Butterfield was solidly running with the threes and I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the next step and really challenges for the starting spot.

It is true he is not a true runner... but neither is Shough and Shough's biggest problem down the stretch wasn't his running ability but more his decision making. He would often keep the ball when he should hand it off.

Having a more pure passer would open up the run game, even for the QB, as it could stretch the field vertically and as a result the run game opens up for the runningbacks and the quarterback run. Moorhead's desire to run the quarterback isn't to make the quarterback a rusher to the degree of a runningback but make the defense respect the quarterback run and defend against it. There needs to be some qb runs in the game for that to work but it shouldn't be the quarterbacks primary job to run the ball.

Right now I feel Oregon needs a solid passer who can run the ball a few times a game more than someone who is a stronger runner. Ideally we want a Marcus Mariota type who can do both things incredibly well... Mariota was a really rare talent. I would like a Vernon Adams or Justin Herbert type QB who can really stretch the field with their arm ... granted VA had some  major durability issues and Herbert didn't have a receiving corp that could reliably allow him to stretch the field. 

Depending too much on the quarterback run just crowds the box and makes the defense's job easier.

There's a contradiction in the offense IMO.  The coaches want to pound the football and use play action.   However, the running scheme seems extremely limited with the reliance on the pistol and to a lesser extent not stretching teams with the jet sweep.  Having a great runner at QB would make the running game much more effective. 

It's also possible to set up the run with the pass.  That can be accomplished with a QB like Butterfield.  Spread teams out, throw the football, and open up the box for the RB.  This is not what we do.  So Butterfield's talent will never be maximized in the existing scheme IMO which is what happened to Herbert. 

For better or worse, MC and JoMo want to run first and pass second.  I don't believe we'll ever see an offense that really stretches the field in all directions with the passing game and utilizes all the skill talent on the roster.  So if we're going to rely on the pistol, then having a QB that scares the D with his legs on every play is critical.  

[ptdduck]

Sorry, Charles, I can't edit my last post and break into paragraphs. 

[ptdduck]

4 minutes ago, BigDucksFan said:

The three dots in the upper right corner of your comment will show an "Edit" feature. 

Edit doesn't show up in the drop-down when I press it.  

[Santa Rosa Duck]

Reading these comments it appears that there is no love for Cale Millen. 

[Guest]

So many quarterbacks in the room, and certainly ONE of them has to work--but who?  And how much do we need to go through to find the right guy?

[Charles Fischer]

3 hours ago, ptdduck said:

Sorry, Charles, I can't edit my last post and break into paragraphs. 

 

1 hour ago, ptdduck said:

Edit doesn't show up in the drop-down when I press it.  

This is another one of the items we are deciding upon, because right now you can come in and edit within five minutes of posting, and we are going to expand it longer, but are concerned about "how long?"

[FishIceCream]

9 minutes ago, Santa Rosa Duck said:

Reading these comments it appears that there is no love for Cale Millen. 

I vote for Cale Millen, and if he gets hurt, Bradley Yaffe!

Granted, this might be just because I like to root for the underdogs. But remember - who has the second-longest scoring run by an Oregon QB in school history? Don't shade the walk ons!

More seriously, in my heart of hearts, I would like to see our offense either feature a "pro" style QB (who can scramble or bootleg on occasion) or a "dual" style QB, who truly puts the defense on the horns of a dilemma with his legs.

Herbert just put together - arguably - the best rookie season ever for the Chargers. They were not using him as a "dual" QB. If you can get that style of QB, who I am guessing would fit Shough, Butterfield, and Thompson, work all season on an offense that focuses more on the passing + handing off than on the QB running. Does not mean the QB can't run, but focus on the passing + handing off.

If you can get dual QB's, which I would guess fits Brown, Thompson, and Ashford, then work on an offense that focuses on that style. Maybe Shough is a tweener who can do both.

Point being - maybe I am totally off base here - figure out which type of QB you are able to consistently get, which type are the best on your roster, then tailor the offense to fit that type.

This day and age, you will probably lose a couple to transfer after you make that decision, but it still seems like it would be better.

[FishIceCream]

11 minutes ago, Charles Fischer said:

 

This is another one of the items we are deciding upon, because right now you can come in and edit within five minutes of posting, and we are going to expand it longer, but are concerned about "how long?"

I think that making the time frame short (i.e. five minutes) is probably designed to limit people getting in heated arguments and then going back to modify a previous comment. So they can say "See, I never said that!"

In the setting & community that you have created here, I doubt that's much of a problem. So maybe err on giving more time to edit.

[David Marsh]

59 minutes ago, Santa Rosa Duck said:

Reading these comments it appears that there is no love for Cale Millen. 

I vote for Millen to switch positions that's for sure... he demolished USC's kick returner in the Pac-12 Championship Game. I think he should see the field, and if it is as QB sure, but he is stuck in deep in the depth chart right now.

[Jon Sousa]

1 hour ago, FishIceCream said:

I think that making the time frame short (i.e. five minutes) is probably designed to limit people getting in heated arguments and then going back to modify a previous comment. So they can say "See, I never said that!"

In the setting & community that you have created here, I doubt that's much of a problem. So maybe err on giving more time to edit.

The only reason I want to edit (generally) is that when I read my post later and I see 1) spelling or grammatical error I want to fix, or 2) I see that the way I stated something could be misinterpreted and I want to clear it up.

On a certain fishing board that I frequent I sometimes don't catch my errors until hours later or even the next day. I have tried in vain a couple of times on Fishduck to clean up something only to find that I could not... because I was too late.

[Charles Fischer]

1 hour ago, Jon Sousa said:

I sometimes don't catch my errors until hours later or even the next day.

Here is my challenge; within a half hour of someone posting--we have a moderator looking it over.  After it has been checked for following our rules, then we don't check it again.

There are very clever people who know about the time window of editing versus moderating.  So if I have the editing process open to a member on a post for four hours--some bad people will come back to their post after they know it has been edited, and then add inappropriate content to their post.  

And all the new readers of that thread are now exposed to their Trolling Trash....

So...I would love people to edit their posts, but if I have too long a window--some will use that opportunity for dirty deeds.  I do not like either choice...

[Jon Sousa]

16 hours ago, Charles Fischer said:

some bad people will come back to their post after they know it has been edited, and then add inappropriate content to their post.

I see that this can truly be a problem (as bad as my grammar sometimes). 

Is there a way for Average Joe to flag something that should be looked at? Not trying to change your editing policy, just trying to help.

[ICamel]

1 hour ago, Jon Sousa said:

Is there a way for Average Joe to flag something that should be looked at?

In the upper right of a specific post there are three tiny squares. Click on that. The options are "report" or "share". Click on "report".  Easy peasy.

[Charles Fischer]

Please, please, PLEASE report something as soon as you see it.  If we are all looking out for the benefit of the community by helping to keep it all clean--it works better, more people of those we want will be attracted, and we have virtuous circle of building a wonderful community. Gotta stop those Trolls...