Robby Ashford Gone: Expectations for the Ducks’ Offseason?

[FishDuck Article]

Two days ago, it was announced Robby Ashford would enter the transfer portal. After countless discussions, articles, and efforts from Our Beloved Ducks’ fanbase to figure out what to expect of this team’s offense (that showed wonderful signs of life in the passing game during the season’s concluding bowl game), we see another all-time great recruit heading somewhere new. This ...

 

Read the full article here...

[woundedknees]

I'm hoping TT flourishes in this new regime.

In perusing the resumes of the Lanning Brigade, I noticed something interesting in the background... Multiple coaches in this group have spent at least part of their career working with quarterbacks. 

 

Could it be that we have an opportunity to have individual mentors for different quarterback skillsets?

Maybe I'm just channeling my inner mad conspiracy theorist...

[Haywarduck]

I think we have a couple receivers who have a pretty amazing gift. If we bring in one or more transfers the next qb could be helped greatly.

 

A qb needs a good O-line, check, good RB, check, and it really helps to have great receivers. The only thing better than a great freshman receiver is a sophomore receiver. Fortunately we have experience coming back.

 

I was extremely impressed with the young receivers. I think there was something brewing which could be pretty special on the bench. 

 

The offense is waiting to explode into the Oregon Offensive Machine it once was, and will always be in the hearts of Oregon Fans.

[HappyToBeADuck]

IMHO, the QB room can never be to full of talent. Between injuries, individual player improvement and the portal, roster depth can change in a heart beat.

 

Coach Lanning used the portal to bring in a experienced QB  that the new OC trusts. Smart move......

 

Oops, Ashford gone.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if another QB is brought in via the portal. TT and JB could leave via the portal anytime. Once the Alabama QB decommitted from the 2022 class, the Ducks needed at least 1 more QB. Why not an experienced 5☆, SEC player?

 

Optics may be bad to Duck fans and future QB recruits for sure. But Coach Lanning is planning on winning the PAC. He needs talent and game time experience on the field.

 

Imagine a top California QB like JB or a 5☆ QB like TT not being able to make the playing field? 

 

The Duck QB room is in a unique situation. Assuming TT and JB use their redshirt we all know that they enter 2022 with 4 years eligibility remaining. 

 

What's unique is that both young men will have 2 spring ball camps and all that goes with that under their belt.

 

JB will have 3 fall camps and TT will have 2. Yet 4 full years of eligibility remaining. Of course they will be learning a new system. They will pick it up fast.

 

Their futures are bright. I just hope their futures are as Ducks.

 

That optic may and probably will give top QB recruits a reason to pause or look elsewhere. Who would want to sit for 3 plus years behind all that talent.

 

No bodies fault. Just the reality of today's game. After all how much NIL can you receive sitting on the bench.

 

I imagine one conference, for sure, has NIL opportunities for gifted players who want to keep the bench warm. 

 

I don't think the PAC is that one......

[Jon Joseph]

Thanks for the article Alex. But "all time great recruit?" I think that is overrating Robby Ashford who could bot not beat out a journeyman QB for the starting job at Oregon. A great kid and a terrific athlete but let's see where he ends up and then see if he starts there?

 

Lanning and Dillingham did not bring Nix in without taking a long look at the talent in the Oregon QB room. I'm certain that Ty and Butterfield will given a fair chance, perhaps a fairer chance under this staff, to win the starting job. However, only 1 guy in the QB room in 2022 will have had 3 starts vs Georgia and won big games in front of big crowds in big stadiums, including a W against Alabama.

[Babyjesus615]

I am a firm believer that a top tier program needs to be recruiting a QB in every class. Rather than let walkons fill the lower ranks of the position group as we have with Bradley Yaffe and A.J. Abbott, we should be filling the depth chart with scholarship athletes that a coach has sought to bring into the program.

 

If these recruits are told from the start that nothing is guaranteed, but will be given equal opportunity to climb the depth chart, then the position group as a whole benefits. As these players grind and grind, they constantly raise the bar of what is expected of the named starter. At the end of fall camp there will be some attrition, which is to be expected in all high level merit based programs.

 

However, the identity of the position group will be engrained and recruits will know that the likelihood of a random transfer being brought in to sub-plant their status on the team is very unlikely. It may give some of these guys at least a little more confidence in sticking out another season with the program, in the hopes of raising their level of play enough to challenge for starting reps.

 

We as a fan base need to regain the patience to let the unproven, but earned starter, take his lumps in the first season. Not all QBs are Marcus Mariota in their first year. I am fine with THIS year having a transfer brought in as an insurance policy (new coaching regime) and maybe even a starter, if in fact Ty Thompson or Jay Butterfield cannot truly rise to QB1. But the program needs to instill confidence in both the outside world and itself, that it can develop quality QB talent from within.

[Arctuniol]

On 1/6/2022 at 8:26 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Thanks for the article Alex. But "all time great recruit?" I think that is overrating Robby Ashford who could bot not beat out a journeyman QB for the starting job at Oregon. A great kid and a terrific athlete but let's see where he ends up and then see if he starts there?

 

Lanning and Dillingham did not bring Nix in without taking a long look at the talent in the Oregon QB room. I'm certain that Ty and Butterfield will given a fair chance, perhaps a fairer chance under this staff, to win the starting job. However, only 1 guy in the QB room in 2022 will have had 3 starts vs Georgia and won big games in front of big crowds in big stadiums, including a W against Alabama.

Could he not beat him out, or was it Cristobol and what he wanted, no one knows, but I think transferring is a telling story of what went on in the QB room, and frustrations of the receivers towards the end of the season was very telling. 

[Arctuniol]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:28 AM, Babyjesus615 said:

I am a firm believer that a top tier program needs to be recruiting a QB in every class. Rather than let walkons fill the lower ranks of the position group as we have with Bradley Yaffe and A.J. Abbott, we should be filling the depth chart with scholarship athletes that a coach has sought to bring into the program.

 

If these recruits are told from the start that nothing is guaranteed, but will be given equal opportunity to climb the depth chart, then the position group as a whole benefits. As these players grind and grind, they constantly raise the bar of what is expected of the named starter. At the end of fall camp there will be some attrition, which is to be expected in all high level merit based programs.

 

However, the identity of the position group will be engrained and recruits will know that the likelihood of a random transfer being brought in to sub-plant their status on the team is very unlikely. It may give some of these guys at least a little more confidence in sticking out another season with the program, in the hopes of raising their level of play enough to challenge for starting reps.

 

We as a fan base need to regain the patience to let the unproven, but earned starter, take his lumps in the first season. Not all QBs are Marcus Mariota in their first year. I am fine with THIS year having a transfer brought in as an insurance policy (new coaching regime) and maybe even a starter, if in fact Ty Thompson or Jay Butterfield cannot truly rise to QB1. But the program needs to instill confidence in both the outside world and itself, that it can develop quality QB talent from within.

I think we will see a more honest competition at quarterback than the previous coaching staff. 

[HappyToBeADuck]

I agree with bringing in high school talent and then developing that talent over time.

 

Or that rare exception where a youngster can step in and play.

 

But that ship may have sailed........

 

You could have a quality player transfer out for a better NIL. All that player development is gone.

 

TT and JB could transfer at anytime.  Anytime! Bet after the Alamo Bowl that OU fans weren't expecting WILLIAMS to hit the portal.

 

So if we have further QB transfers, then we just have Bo. Glad he transferred to Oregon. Glad the portal is available. 

 

I expect going forward to see one high school recruit and one seasoned QB via the portal.....

 

The old ways are rapidly disappearing. Coaches have to adapt to the landscape. 

[30Duck]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:44 AM, HappyToBeADuck said:

Bet after the Alamo Bowl that OU fans weren't expecting WILLIAMS to hit the portal.

 

I actually would take that bet. With the team headed to the SEC and Riley to USC, I think most saw Williams leaving, Sooner than later. 

[Just Ducky]

I’ve always had a soft spot for baseball players becoming QBs. They learn from childhood to make throws from all different arm positions and foot positions . AB could only throw an accurate ball when his feet were planted firmly on the ground. I’m sure AB looked good in practice but he was horrible at improvising when pressured.

 

Ashford was probably the best athlete in the QB room and probably would be again next season. MC was going to have no part of that.

 

There have been some excellent QBs in the nfl that were excellent base ballers. Brady, Mahomes, Wilson, Herbert, Murrey, and Elway just to name a few.

 

Sorry to see Ashford go but we all knew it was coming.

[HappyToBeADuck]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:51 AM, 30Duck said:

 

I actually would take that bet. With the team headed to the SEC and Riley to USC, I think most saw Williams leaving, Sooner than later. 

Yeah you are probably right.....

[Jon Joseph]

On 1/6/2022 at 12:28 PM, Babyjesus615 said:

I am a firm believer that a top tier program needs to be recruiting a QB in every class. Rather than let walkons fill the lower ranks of the position group as we have with Bradley Yaffe and A.J. Abbott, we should be filling the depth chart with scholarship athletes that a coach has sought to bring into the program.

 

If these recruits are told from the start that nothing is guaranteed, but will be given equal opportunity to climb the depth chart, then the position group as a whole benefits. As these players grind and grind, they constantly raise the bar of what is expected of the named starter. At the end of fall camp there will be some attrition, which is to be expected in all high level merit based programs.

 

However, the identity of the position group will be engrained and recruits will know that the likelihood of a random transfer being brought in to sub-plant their status on the team is very unlikely. It may give some of these guys at least a little more confidence in sticking out another season with the program, in the hopes of raising their level of play enough to challenge for starting reps.

 

We as a fan base need to regain the patience to let the unproven, but earned starter, take his lumps in the first season. Not all QBs are Marcus Mariota in their first year. I am fine with THIS year having a transfer brought in as an insurance policy (new coaching regime) and maybe even a starter, if in fact Ty Thompson or Jay Butterfield cannot truly rise to QB1. But the program needs to instill confidence in both the outside world and itself, that it can develop quality QB talent from within.

 

Definitely the old school methodology but I think we will see, at least at big time programs, as many starting QBs coming out of the portal than being recruited and developed. And let's not kid ourselves. In this day and age of wide open CFB 'free agency' there is a lot of roster tampering going on.

[RkyMtnGuy]

It's hard to erase any thought of a wink and a nod to Nix given his history with the current incoming OC....he may turn out to be great but unless the name is Burrow, Murray or Fields - and now Williams - I'm totally against portal QB's.....just hate it.

[MaiTaiDuck]

On 1/6/2022 at 2:05 AM, FishDuck Article said:

Two days ago, it was announced Robby Ashford would enter the transfer portal. After countless discussions, articles, and efforts from Our Beloved Ducks’ fanbase to figure out what to expect of this team’s offense (that showed wonderful signs of life in the passing game during the season’s concluding bowl game), we see another all-time great recruit heading somewhere new. This ...

 

Read the full article here...

Honestly I loved Ashford because he could play Baseball and was pretty good at it. Thompson is the heir apparent to the thrown and Robby I seriously doubt was ever gonna get a chance or we would have seen him jump both Ty and Butter's. Wherever he goes I hope he has positive results as long as it's not Miami. We need Ty to win the QB battle over Nix. If Nix wins the job and there's no doubt that he will be great then fine. All's I know is he better win every PAC 12 game. I will say this I don't remember who compared him to AB but that's crazy because I think NIX is better period.

[MaiTaiDuck]

On 1/6/2022 at 12:40 PM, RkyMtnGuy said:

It's hard to erase any thought of a wink and a nod to Nix given his history with the current incoming OC....he may turn out to be great but unless the name is Burrow, Murray or Fields - and now Williams - I'm totally against portal QB's.....just hate it.

Well get used to it because that's the way it's gonna be. I mean could a team poach a Bryce Young from BAMA for a lot of money? Now that would be ok with me.

[MaiTaiDuck]

On 1/6/2022 at 3:58 AM, Wrathis said:

It's my sincere hope that it's TT. Much as you've already stated, we need to be able to not only recruit top-tier talent, but also groom and coach that talent into an NFL caliber player. We've shown that we can recruit that into Eugene but if we don't develop and play that talent, then we're going to lose the ability to get it here in the first place. I've been over this transfer stuff since the Prukop disaster...

Yeah that one was a stinker!

[MaiTaiDuck]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:41 AM, Arctuniol said:

Could he not beat him out, or was it Cristobol and what he wanted, no one knows, but I think transferring is a telling story of what went on in the QB room, and frustrations of the receivers towards the end of the season was very telling. 

Mario actually did so much damage to this team than we even know. I mean some of the holes that O Line made when they wanted to if James, Barner, Stewart, Tyner seen those they would have been gone. We would have had at least 10 more TDs a year. Speed kills and we don't have close to enough of it at RB position. What happened to looking for recruits who run a 4.4 40? We need that element to open up the play down the field also. We have the W/Os that can run and I can't remember having 3 with the same capabilities.