He entered fall camp as the relative unknown. He left as the star of it.
The past four weeks have been a whirlwind for Oregon freshman quarterback Justin Herbert, but in the best way possible.
Herbert began Oregon’s fall football camp as the expected fourth-string quarterback. It was expected he would have a redshirt season and lead the scout team against the Ducks’ first and second team defenses during the season. He would never see the field in 2016, all while preparing for a shot at making the traveling squad next season.
How could he possibly make the travel team and crack the depth chart? Not only did he play against a lower-level of competition in high school than his counterparts (something some people think is a huge deal), he was the last quarterback to arrive on campus, get his playbook and begin practicing.
He had Dakota Prukop, a fifth-year transfer from Montana State; Travis Jonsen, a player who’s been in the program; and Terry Wilson Jr., a freshman from Texas who arrived at Oregon during the spring, all with a jump on him.
With fall camp over and the Ducks preparing to open the season against UC Davis on Saturday, Herbert has indeed cracked the depth chart and made the traveling team. Come game day, Herbert will find himself suited up and getting action in the game as Oregon’s No. 2 quarterback.
If the Ducks blow out UC Davis, as they’re expected to do, Herbert would see significant game time leading Oregon’s high-flying offense. If anything happens to Prukop, which all Oregon fans learned last year is a tough pill to swallow when your starting quarterback goes down, Herbert is next in line to lead Oregon back to the Pac-12 Championship game.
Still, you have to question whether this is the right move for Herbert?
He’s still just a kid who at this time last year was playing high school football for Sheldon in Eugene. He’s been learning Oregon’s offense for a few months and now he’s expected to take on the likes of Stanford, USC, Nebraska, Utah and the forever-hated Washington?
If Herbert is as good as all his coaches and players say, why rush him into seeing the field? Why not redshirt him? Why not let him get an entire grasp of this offense so next year when Prukop leaves, the offense is Herbert’s and he is full-on ready to go?
By doing this, Herbert won’t take the lumps and bruises that come with being a young quarterback. He won’t run the risk of losing his confidence or getting injured. He also won’t be blamed for Oregon’s season possibly tanking. We all saw what happened to Jeff Lockie last year.
Oregon learned last year how important it is for your backup quarterback to be game-ready. I think it’s safe to assume the coaching staff learned their lesson and are making sure to not replicate last year.
Once the season starts on Saturday, the decision to play Herbert is final. There are no take-backs or anything, it’s full-steam ahead. Herbert will be suited up on Saturdays, ready to go when his name is called. It may not be the best decision, but based on last year’s debacle, it’s probably the right one.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka