Oregon Football: Implications from Anthony Brown being named QB1

Well, it’s official: Anthony Brown is your starting quarterback for Oregon football to begin the 2021 season.

Is this surprising? Honestly, given the fact that Mario Cristobal raved about him all spring and that he’s a veteran with plenty of starting experience, the answer to that is no. Ducks fans probably expected this to happen, but the fact that a starter hadn’t been named throughout fall camp until the one-week mark before the season gave a glimmer of hope that Ty Thompson could be the guy.

But on Friday afternoon, Cristobal made it official and named Brown as the starting quarterback for the opener against Fresno State and while there may be plenty of grumbling coming from the fan base, it’s a decent sign that the head coach feels that he gives the team the best chance to win.

Sure, I said just yesterday that Thompson should be the starting quarterback because of his pure arm talent, running ability, and instincts along with the notion that he’d be QB1 for 3-4 years, giving Oregon a long-time starter like Justin Herbert, but Brown is more than capable.

Main implications from QB1 decision

Do I think Thompson will be a better quarterback than Brown eventually? Yes, but Cristobal thinks that he’s not quite ready yet.

Here are some implications from this decision:

• Cristobal believes Brown gives him the best chance to win right now.
• Brown’s accuracy must have improved this offseason to hold off a late push from Thompson.
• Robby Ashford and Jay Butterfield haven’t progressed enough.
• Brown’s dual-threat ability may have set him apart as he’s a better runner than Thompson.
• Cristobal feels comfortable with the veteran despite maybe not having as much arm talent as other options.
• Cristobal doesn’t want to take any chances with this decision. He was playing it safe.
• Brown might just be on a short leash with Thompson right behind him.

Like this decision or not, it’s time to back Brown but it’s also fair to assume that his leash will be short with three capable quarterbacks right behind him.