When spring ball began, I think all Oregon football fans expected Anthony Brown and Ty Thompson to battle it out for the starting quarterback job.
Brown was coming back for one final season after coming over from Boston College ahead of the 2020 season as a grad transfer and Thompson was coming in as a top-50 early enrolled freshman. The battle was experience vs. young talent and in the end, I don’t think anyone can say that either of those two guys “won” anything.
Robby Ashford, on the other hand, played himself into the QB1 conversation.
Heading into the spring, I would have listed Ashford as the fourth option despite being a really talented athlete. He didn’t attempt a single pass as a freshman, along with Jay Butterfield, but his fellow freshman quarterback had the size and arm strength to push for one of the top two spots.
Butterfield wasn’t bad in the spring game, by any means, but he didn’t move the needle like Ashford did.
Ashford could realistically be Oregon football’s QB1
Realistically, Ashford looked like the best quarterback on the roster in the spring game and if that’s what he plays like while juggling two spots (along with baseball), he’s going to be a problem this fall.
Showing accuracy along with explosive athleticism (reminiscent of Vernon Adams), Ashford looked like a quarterback who could do a little of everything while raising the ceiling of the offense and potentially shocking the Pac-12 as an all-conference performer.
Ashford showed off that arm with a 44-yard touchdown pass to give his team a shot to win with a two-point conversion and then he showcased his legs with a scramble and score on the two-point try to walk off with a win.
If I’m Mario Cristobal, I throw all the quarterback’s classes (freshman, senior, etc.) and just choose the best option. If that’s the case, Ashford would be the guy when the season starts.