The Oregon State Beavers lost a key piece of their roster last week when quarterback Marcus McMaryion announced his transfer out of Corvallis.
The Oregon State Football program was dealt on big blow over the weekend when their potential starting quarterback Marcus McMaryion announced his transfer from the school. McMaryion led the Beavers to two straight victories over the Arizona Wildcats and in-state rival Oregon Ducks to end the 2016 season.
In the victory over Arizona, McMaryion threw for 265 yards and five touchdowns. McMaryion also rushed for 81 yards and did not turn the ball over in the victory over Oregon. A team that is not looking good entering the 2017 did not need news like this from one of their most important players.
Yet, according to Oregon Live, Oregon State head coach Gary Anderson named redshirt junior Jake Luton the starting quarterback for the Beavers in the season opener just one week ago. Luton is a transfer from the University of Idaho who has one career passing touchdown and four interceptions.
The physical tools that Luton has at his disposal are nothing but incredible. At 6’7″, 230 pounds, and with a very strong arm, Luton could turn into an intriguing pro prospect very quick. He does have to get his footing very quick though since the PAC-12 schedule will not be forgiving this year.
The running backs should provide some support for the starting Oregon State quarterback with guys like junior Ryan Nall, sophomore Artavis Pierce, and former Oregon transfer and five-star recruit Thomas Tyner. That’s a group that has been overlooked during the preseason but could give the Beavers a huge boost in 2017.
Starting the season is not the problem for Oregon State. They could very easily start 3-0 with their out of conference slate against the Colorado State Rams, Portland State Vikings, and Minnesota Golden Gophers. However, the following five game stretch to start off the conference schedule is where things get tough. Oregon State faces Washington State, Washington, Colorado, USC, and Stanford in five consecutive games. That’s an unforgiving stretch that will put Luton to the test.
Now, let’s take a look at the three best transfer options for former Oregon State dual threat quarterback Marcus McMaryion.