Marcus Mariota in mix

Now that Darron Thomas has decided to test the NFL waters, the Oregon Ducks must choose their next starting quarterback. It comes down to two candidates: Marcus Mariota and Bryan Bennett. The more popular pick is Bennett and rightfully so. However, Mariota is an interesting young quarterback, and fans who have been following him since his days in Hawaii are clamoring for him to get a chance to start. He may not be heading into his third year with the program like Bennett, but Mariota is an athletic quarterback with smooth mechanics who is a fountain of untapped potential.

The Oregon Ducks need to view the quarterback competition between Bennett and Mariota with open eyes, because Bennett’s performance last season needs to be taken in context. He was playing against two underwhelming defenses and played well against them, but he completed under 55% of his passes. The sample size is too small, and the quality of opponent makes his cameo negligible in the grand scheme of things.

While Mariota will most likely lose the job to Bennett, he is more accurate than Bennett and is more of a refined passer. He was well-coached in high school and is definitely a leader, but both of those qualities are matched by Bennett’s arm strength. He has a rocket and isn’t afraid to show it off when given the opportunity. The same can be said for Bennett as a rusher, as he looks to take off  and show his speed when he feels like he can get serious yardage out of it.

This position battle should be more interesting than the casual fan would think, because scouts rave about Mariota’s accuracy and competitiveness. However, a knock on him is his footwork which comes to bite him when he is under pressure. However, Mariota is a good decision maker and is also known for his relatively high football IQ. It comes down to Mariota’s ability as a pure passer against Bennett’s athleticism and arm strength, and it should be an interesting battle to watch. Mariota’s skills are comparable to Darron Thomas’s, and that will only make this competition even more interesting.

Vote below to choose which quarterback should start for the Oregon Ducks next season, and you can also voice your opinion in the comments section.

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