The Oregon Ducks are faced with the task of moving on from Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Marcus Mariota this season which is one of the toughest tasks for a program to do. There is no one that can “replace” Mariota, but Vernon Adams Jr. has a chance to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Ducks.
Adams brings excellent athleticism and speed to go with a solid arm, and he is expected to fit perfectly into the up-tempo offense that Oregon runs.
The former Eastern Washington star is coming into the 2015 season as a senior transfer, bringing the type of experience that the Ducks will need to be a legitimate contender.
According to a report from CSNNW.com, Adams is improving quickly and is becoming much more comfortable in the offense that the Ducks are going to run this season. Head coach Mark Helfrich has been impressed with his quarterback and he talked about the strides that Adams has been making so far in practice.
“You can literally see him the first couple of days just trying to translate,” Helfrich said. “That process is taking less and less time and he is able to play just at a faster pace mentally and that turns out as a faster pace physically.”
Oregon has yet to name Adams the starting quarterback, as redshirt junior Jeff Lockie is still competing for the job.
Both players are more than capable of starting this season and putting up big numbers. Lockie is a quality quarterback himself, but Adams simply brings more athleticism and playmaking ability to the field.
That is what the Ducks will need, but Adams is being forced to earn the job rather than simply being handed the keys.
Looking ahead at the upcoming season, Oregon is still expected to be a legitimate playoff contender. They made the first ever college football playoff last season, but came up short against the eventual championship winning Ohio State Buckeyes.
If Adams can continue making the strides that he has been making so far, the Oregon offense will be in very good hands.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
