Lanning Got It Right: Adding Nix Was the RIGHT Move

[FishDuck Article]

The Transfer Portal is one of the most polarizing developments in college football history. While most fans are glad that college athletes are finally gaining some autonomy, many are also disturbed at the thinning of the line between college athletics and professional sports. The Transfer Portal might as well be a fancy way of saying “Free Agency,“ as players are ...

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[Duck1984]

Lanning understands that the QB position will be a key for the Duck’s success, so it makes sense for him to bring a known winner like Nix into the flock.

 

I have mixed feelings about Nix though, as I suffered through his clutch play for Auburn in a winning drive in the 2019 season opener against the Ducks in his freshman debut.

 

While he’s no Vernon Adams, Nix is a gamer that doesn’t wilt under pressure.  He will be a great competitor and leader in the QB room.

 

 

[Badwater]

It looks to be a necessary move. MC's strong suit did not appear to be developing quarterbacks, something that Lanning's offense must address.

[Jon Joseph]

Another great take. Thank you Joshua.

 

There will be a hotly contested battle to see who starts at QB in 2022; otherwise, Oregon hired the wrong head coach.

 

3 years of starting in the SEC and being reasonably successful over this time, including SEC Frosh of the year on O and a win against Alabama (and Oregon, sigh,) definitely trumps putting up big numbers in Arizona high school football. Nix is one of the very few players on the Ducks roster who will have played in front of the type of crowd the Ducks will see in the opener in Atlanta versus Georgia. If Nix starts, it will be his 4th start versus the Dawgs. (Only Auburn and Tennessee have 'the privilege' of playing Alabama and Georgia every season.)

 

Definitely spot on regarding the portal being the go-to place for many the school to find its starting QB. Arizona, ASU, CAL, Oregon, USC, Washington and Washington State could all have transfer QBs starting this season. A transfer QB will be starting at Oregon State and at Utah.

 

As you so correctly noted Joshua, CFB today has 'free agency.' There is no control, to date, unlike in the NFL, over when a player can enter the portal and no control over the school a player transfers to, even if that school is a member of the same conference. You can bet that there is roster tampering going on coupled with NIL pay-for-play inducements to transfer. Roster management in P5 CFB today is far more difficult than managing a roster in the NFL.

 

The NFL has a union to bargain with on pay and transfer issues; CFB does not. If a CFB Player's Union comes to fruition, what CFB entity will be there to represent 'management' in the bargaining process? At the P5 level, it will not be the NCAA. And can CFB players who belong to a union be considered to be anything other than 'employees?'

 

Thanks again. May the best QB win.

Edited February 23, 2022 by Jon Joseph

[30Duck]

I agree Joshua, it was the right move. Oregon has a very tough schedule in 2022, starting with the "neutral" game against Georgia. If Thompson or Butterfield can beat Nix out, great. But having a veteran SEC QB, familiar with Dillingham, looks like a winner to me. 

[kirklandduck]

I don't think Lanning really had a choice in the matter.  Pre-Nix there was virtually no in-game experience in the QB room after Brown graduated...add to that the now obvious revelation that QB development wasn't much of a focus during Cristobal's time and you have a precarious situation for the offense.  

[HappyToBeADuck]

Joshua you are on target that bringing in Nix was a good move by Coach Lanning.

 

Under the bright or dark shadow of the transfer portal the QB room could change again after spring ball.

 

In or out...........

[Southern Duck]

I think Nix is a Georgia kick off game insurance policy.  We may not win in ATL but Nix has seen that kind of speed and wont be a deer in the headlights so to speak.  He also knows Dillingham's offense and hopefully will be a steading force till the game slows down for either Ty or Butterfield. Iamaleava is on the horizon too, so our young QB's better get it it going before this kid quacks!  

[Babyjesus615]

I think it was said best in the article that elite "rated" QBs should not be shook at the prospect of a transfer coming in to the program. If the recruit is as good as advertised, then the only thing that changes is the level of competition he sees on his way to winning the starting gig. Mario Cristobal got it right when he preached that Iron sharpens Iron. If he allowed his assistants to properly develop the QB room, we would have one of the best in the nation.

 

Nix will start the first game unless something drastic happens. But Lanning and Dillingham will hopefully have that young fire to not settle for mediocrity if his production wanes. I believe they will actually do what we all hoped MC would do with AB last season and roll with him until they can't roll with him. Here's to hoping...

[EzDucksIt]

Bringing in a former starter is always a wise choice, as was AB.  Insurance against injury, meltdown or down right horrid game play.  But serious development falls on coaching, no excuses.  The job of HC and OC is to get game plans together, talent developed and put players into winning situations.

 

The issue for the staff will be, effort made to develop the talent.  You lack the development and high level recruits will not come.  MC was going to have that kind of issue, had he elected to stay, IMHO.  On top of not being able to keep a OC and changing systems every two years.

 

And Off Topic, DJ Johnson, is one HECK of a TE, blocking and catching passes.  His talent on Offense is just as impressive as his Defensive skills.  I hope they make use of his talent and willingness to play either way for the team and his sake too.  It would be a great injustice to not let his two way skills shine.

[Viking Duck]

"The Transfer Portal is the new normal in college football."  -  That says it right there, Joshua. Excellent article!

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:30 AM, Duck1984 said:

Lanning understands that the QB position will be a key for the Duck’s success, so it makes sense for him to bring a known winner like Nix into the flock.

 

I have mixed feelings about Nix though, as I suffered through his clutch play for Auburn in a winning drive in the 2019 season opener against the Ducks in his freshman debut.

 

While he’s no Vernon Adams, Nix is a gamer that doesn’t wilt under pressure.  He will be a great competitor and leader in the QB room.

 

 

I too am mixed on Nix as a player. I'm a big fan of the process of adding a guy via the portal. That said, I wish we would've swung for some of the other QBs available. (To be fair, we might have and just lost.)

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:59 AM, Badwater said:

It looks to be a necessary move. MC's strong suit did not appear to be developing quarterbacks, something that Lanning's offense must address.

Dillingham and Lanning are saying all the right things, which is refreshing to hear. Hopefully they put those words into action because you are correct, Cristobal did not develop quarterbacks.

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 12:05 PM, Jon Joseph said:

Another great take. Thank you Joshua.

 

There will be a hotly contested battle to see who starts at QB in 2022; otherwise, Oregon hired the wrong head coach.

 

3 years of starting in the SEC and being reasonably successful over this time, including SEC Frosh of the year on O and a win against Alabama (and Oregon, sigh,) definitely trumps putting up big numbers in Arizona high school football. Nix is one of the very few players on the Ducks roster who will have played in front of the type of crowd the Ducks will see in the opener in Atlanta versus Georgia. If Nix starts, it will be his 4th start versus the Dawgs. (Only Auburn and Tennessee have 'the privilege' of playing Alabama and Georgia every season.)

 

Definitely spot on regarding the portal being the go-to place for many the school to find its starting QB. Arizona, ASU, CAL, Oregon, USC, Washington and Washington State could all have transfer QBs starting this season. A transfer QB will be starting at Oregon State and at Utah.

 

As you so correctly noted Joshua, CFB today has 'free agency.' There is no control, to date, unlike in the NFL, over when a player can enter the portal and no control over the school a player transfers to, even if that school is a member of the same conference. You can bet that there is roster tampering going on coupled with NIL pay-for-play inducements to transfer. Roster management in P5 CFB today is far more difficult than managing a roster in the NFL.

 

The NFL has a union to bargain with on pay and transfer issues; CFB does not. If a CFB Player's Union comes to fruition, what CFB entity will be there to represent 'management' in the bargaining process? At the P5 level, it will not be the NCAA. And can CFB players who belong to a union be considered to be anything other than 'employees?'

 

Thanks again. May the best QB win.

Yeah the Transfer Portal itself could be broken down in like a months worth of articles lol. I understand that coaches jump ship all the time, but there are monetary consequences for them doing so. I feel like that part has gotten ignored when comparing coaches leaving to players transferring. The NCAA has a mess on its hands here and not really much power to do much about it...

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 12:32 PM, 30Duck said:

I agree Joshua, it was the right move. Oregon has a very tough schedule in 2022, starting with the "neutral" game against Georgia. If Thompson or Butterfield can beat Nix out, great. But having a veteran SEC QB, familiar with Dillingham, looks like a winner to me. 

You all have been bringing up a very good point about the schedule, specifically the opener. I know winning is a longshot in general, but I'm sure the coaching staff is glad they have a guy who has played in these types of games before, specifically playing Georgia three times already.

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:08 PM, kirklandduck said:

I don't think Lanning really had a choice in the matter.  Pre-Nix there was virtually no in-game experience in the QB room after Brown graduated...add to that the now obvious revelation that QB development wasn't much of a focus during Cristobal's time and you have a precarious situation for the offense.  

Yep, it was a bit of an eye-popper at first, but the more you look at it, the more obvious it was that we needed a veteran QB.

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:27 PM, HappyToBeADuck said:

Joshua you are on target that bringing in Nix was a good move by Coach Lanning.

 

Under the bright or dark shadow of the transfer portal the QB room could change again after spring ball.

 

In or out...........

Very very true. I hope we hang on to Butterfield, but I wouldn't be shocked to see him exploring other options either.

[Joshua Whitted]

On 2/23/2022 at 7:06 PM, EzDucksIt said:

Bringing in a former starter is always a wise choice, as was AB.  Insurance against injury, meltdown or down right horrid game play.  But serious development falls on coaching, no excuses.  The job of HC and OC is to get game plans together, talent developed and put players into winning situations.

 

The issue for the staff will be, effort made to develop the talent.  You lack the development and high level recruits will not come.  MC was going to have that kind of issue, had he elected to stay, IMHO.  On top of not being able to keep a OC and changing systems every two years.

 

And Off Topic, DJ Johnson, is one HECK of a TE, blocking and catching passes.  His talent on Offense is just as impressive as his Defensive skills.  I hope they make use of his talent and willingness to play either way for the team and his sake too.  It would be a great injustice to not let his two way skills shine.

Really great point, the coaches have to put whoever starts in the best position to succeed. I do wonder what a guy like Shough could have done under a better offensive staff.

[HappyToBeADuck]

Joshua, I agree it would be nice to see JB stay with the program. Even though 2020 Spring Practice was cut short due to the pandemic this is his 3rd spring session. However, if he stays this summer will his 3rd full summer session.

 

This young man has 3 or 4 years eligibility remaining. By this time he should have his grown man's body. I truly believe their is one hec of a QB within that young man. And somebody is going to get the benefit of his talent and knowledge.

 

I am afraid that once he gets his degree he will transfer. He will not last long in the portal if he enters it. The big question, to this point, does JB have enough QB IQ or was the previous staff inept at developing his talent?

[Haywarduck]

Great discussion and it does raise the question of do we have a Joe Burrow, or Tom Brady like talent waiting to get on the field or was it wise to bring in another transfer? Burrow and Brady languished on the sideline as other talented qb's played. Burrow transferred out after graduating, and seeing no end to bench time. I have little faith Cristobal was a good evaluator of qb talent, so I think we have a big question mark at qb going into spring ball and next season.

 

I agree Nix may be an insurance policy against a complete meltdown against Georgia. He might also be a great leader for the young guns beneath him to learn from. Nix was probably a very shrewd move to help insure a smooth transition to better recruitment and development of talent at the qb position. Putting an inexperience qb in against Georgia is most likely a recipe for disaster. Nix should probably start the first game, and then maybe we can ease in the next great Oregon qb as the season progresses.

 

My hope is we do see a transition to one of the young guys as the season progresses. A program needs to develop talent to sustain a healthy culture. Best case scenario is we, again, become a destination for great qb recruitment and development. I don't just mean 5* talent, we need to again, see the diamonds in the rough along with the highly touted and develop them! Transfers should want to come here, but we should no longer rely on this for our starter, just back-ups ready to take over if the injury bug hits. It will be fun to see if one of our backups really is the real deal. I think this staff may be able to figure this out, hopefully!

[OhioDuck]

Adding Nix is definitely good. A good competition at QB will help everyone in the long run. I expect at least one of the younger guys to stick around, win the starting position this year or not and playing with a guy with SEC experience will be great for those guys.

 

I understand the misgivings of some of us, and I say US because I have some. But Nix is not AB. He is a former 5 star recruit who has had some problems, but at other times looked every bit the part of those 5 stars.

 

He has had the misfortune of not having the same OC for two years in a row during his career, playing for a team where there is a ton of pressure, because they aren't Alabama, but are expected by their fans to be and not always having the same kind of 5 star talent around him that he has. 

 

I think the Oregon situation this year may just be the place where Nix can thrive and live up to that 5 star rating he had as a recruit.

 

Here's to the competition at QB. May the best Duck win! 

 

Yet one more thing to make the prospects for this season excciting!

[Jon Joseph]

On 2/24/2022 at 1:32 PM, OhioDuck said:

Adding Nix is definitely good. A good competition at QB will help everyone in the long run. I expect at least one of the younger guys to stick around, win the starting position this year or not and playing with a guy with SEC experience will be great for those guys.

 

I understand the misgivings of some of us, and I say US because I have some. But Nix is not AB. He is a former 5 star recruit who has had some problems, but at other times looked every bit the part of those 5 stars.

 

He has had the misfortune of not having the same OC for two years in a row during his career, playing for a team where there is a ton of pressure, because they aren't Alabama, but are expected by their fans to be and not always having the same kind of 5 star talent around him that he has. 

 

I think the Oregon situation this year may just be the place where Nix can thrive and live up to that 5 star rating he had as a recruit.

 

Here's to the competition at QB. May the best Duck win! 

 

Yet one more thing to make the prospects for this season excciting!

 

Terrific points all around. The only boosters as incestuous in the program as the are the Auburn boosters can be found  in Austin, Texas. Robby Ashford signed on but Auburn is being scorched by the number of good players, not just players per se, entering the portal.

 

Nix was having a very good season before the injury. Bama barely defeated Auburn playing without NIx. Would the Tigers have closed the deal with Nix? 

 

"Nix is not AB!" Absolutely. Nix has played against far better competition in the SEC than AB saw in the ACC and in the Pac-12. What D in the Pac is Nix going to see that is superior to the Ds he faced in the SEC? How about, none. 

 

The one way he does compare to AB is that he comes in 'gimpy.' But Nix bonded well with Dillingham at Auburn, winning the SEC Frosh of the Year Award. In fairness to AB, he played at Oregon for different OCs, and in a system not friendly to the QB position that was micro-managed by the HC.

 

Should be a fun battle but as I noted above how can one compare starting 3 seasons in the SEC with playing high school ball in Arizona? Best of luck to all the contenders at QB for the starting job in 2022 but if it is not too gimpy, Nix has a big leg up.