Oregon Football: Ty Thompson will benefit from Bo Nix transfer

Ty Thompson was the first name that came to mind for Oregon football fans when Bo Nix announced his transfer. This news may not be a bad thing.

When Bo Nix announced his intent to transfer to the Oregon football program after three years with Auburn, the immediate reaction within the fanbase was: what about Ty Thompson?

Thompson just so happened to be the top-ranked quarterback signee in program history which meant that expectations for his career were incredibly high. He made some noise last offseason and even pushed veteran Anthony Brown for the starting job until the season opener but he appeared in just three games and attempted 15 passes.

Mario Cristobal and Joe Moorhead decided to stick with Brown as the starter although he may have had a limited ceiling and it was because Thompson wasn’t quite ready yet.

After sitting this year and learning behind Brown, everyone assumed Thompson would be ‘the guy’ in 2022 and beyond. But Cristobal’s departure and the news of Nix transferring in may have changed things. Does this mean that the staff already doesn’t believe in Thompson? Not necessarily. Actually, it may just be an insurance plan in case the former top-50 prospect isn’t ready yet.

Nix, on the other hand, is the former No. 1 dual-threat in the 2019 class and he’s improved each year throughout his career but has yet to really “break out” as a collegiate quarterback.

But one thing is for sure: Nix’s transfer into the program is only going to help Thompson.

Much like Brown did, Nix is going to challenge Thompson. What once seemed like his job to lose is now going to force him to work hard all offseason to win it over the veteran transfer. This is a good thing.

Oregon football’s QB room should be strong

I don’t see Thompson transferring because of Nix — at least not until he finds out where he stands after spring ball. I could see him winning the starting job and potentially even forcing Nix to rethink his decision. It’s happened before in the transfer portal.

This battle should go well into summer camp and even into the fall, but having Nix pushing Thompson and also Jay Butterfield and Robby Ashford is only going to strengthen the quarterback room.

Losing Brown is going to hurt the experience here and Tanner Bailey’s decommitment hurts depth. But having Nix is going to make up for both of those and that doesn’t mean Thompson is on his way out; it means he’s going to be pushed for the starting job.

If Thompson wins the job, you can bet he’s ready to become a star.