Oregon Football: 5 reasons why Ducks will turn things around in 2017
2. Justin Herbert is ready to lead
Quarterback Justin Herbert didn’t look too shell-shocked when given the starting job last season. After overtaking starter duties from Dakota Prukop, the true freshman came into his own in 2016.
Prukop was a highly-coveted graduate transfer out of Montana State, an FCS school. He started the first five games of the season before losing the job to Herbert.
Now, under Willie Taggart, Herbert has an opportunity to lead the Oregon Ducks back to Pac-12 supremacy. Herbert threw for 1,936 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns last season. He threw just four interceptions as well in eight total games of action.
Sophomore Justin Herbert has the lone college game experience in Oregon's open QB competition pic.twitter.com/DCqhKSe2SH
— Nick Krupke (@NickKrupke) April 8, 2017
Herbert became the first true freshman to start a game at Oregon since 1983. He threw for 489 passing yards, tying the single-game record, and four passing touchdowns in a 54-35 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Oct. 29.
The week before that, he threw for 251 passing yards and six passing touchdowns, tying another single-game school record. If Coach Taggart decides to keep Herbert as starter, the team should be in good hands. Although his record doesn’t show it, in 2017, Herbert should be a quarterback to watch in the Pac-12.