Oregon Football: Pros and cons of Ty Thompson winning QB battle

Cons of Ty Thompson winning the starting job

A comparison to Brad Kaaya was a warning flag, but people forget just how good he was at Miami before struggling in the NFL. But if that’s his ceiling, maybe going with a veteran may not be the worst decision in year one.

Lack of experience has to be the No. 1 con pertaining to Thompson potentially winning the starting job. He hasn’t taken a single collegiate snap while Anthony Brown has live-game experience with two Power Five programs. That lack of experience is a big thing when it comes to the quarterback position because when a coach expects to contend, he’ll go with the veteran more often than not.

Another con would be Thompson’s inability to run at the level of Brown. His highlights from his days at Mesquite High Schools in Arizona show him tucking the ball and running. He had some designed run plays but he wasn’t exactly fleet of foot. If he works on his speed and confidence with his legs, he could catch up but he’s not there yet.

Lastly, a major negative in terms of Thompson winning the job would be the lack of knowledge in the playbook which could be fixed quickly since he’s an early enrollee. Who would you trust more to run your offense, a true freshman who’s been on campus for just a couple of months of a senior with years of experience in his second season with your program?

Is Thompson the more talented quarterback? Most signs point to yes but there’s a chance Mario Cristobal doesn’t want to throw his true freshman into the fire right away.

Who would you pick as your starter?