Darron Thomas Didn’t Take Advantage of Opportunity

Case Keenum wasn’t even a high prospect, and he luckily got signed by his hometown Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. Kellen Moore had a great showing of his intelligence in ESPN’s Gruden QB Camp, and he went undrafted. With the likes of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, and more, this wasn’t a good chance for Thomas to get his shot in a huge senior-led class. Don’t forget, he was just a junior last season too.

Next season is a different story. While there are undoubtedly going to be great quarterback stories that unfold, here are some of the top quarterbacks going into the upcoming season: Florida State’s E.J. Manuel, Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson, Michigan’s Denard Robinson, Clemson’s Tahj Boyd, Washington’s Keith Price, and (of course) USC’s Matt Berkeley.

There’s no doubt that Thomas fits right in with this list. He would have faced a few of those opponents, and if he excelled in those games and kept Oregon in the hunt for a national title most of the year, there’s no doubt that he would be on someone’s draft board in 2013. It’s hard to imagine Oregon wouldn’t have been a contender with weapons like Kenjon Barner and DeAnthony Thomas around him.

Another year of the same isn’t bad, either. Thomas may not have been able to show more abilities, but he could have shown consistency and have improved on his footwork and passing. Maybe then he could have shown the experts he was ready for the next level. Injuries could have set him back and not given him a chance to be drafted, but it would have been better than this year. Just taking a shot in his final year could have been enough to convice the likes of Mike Mayock or Mel Kiper, Jr.

In the end, the decision was made, and Thomas will be the one to contemplate it for years to come. The opportunity is short at the college level, and foregoing any years needs to be done with as much knowledge and research as possible. As long as he’s happy with the decision, all anyone can do is wish him the best for his future and that it all works out for him.

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