Oregon Football: Justin Herbert makes right call to return to school
By Dana Becker
3. Return to win the Pac-12
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Justin Herbert dreamed of competing for the Ducks. He was a three-sport standout at Sheldon High School, putting together a senior season on the gridiron that included over 3,600 yards of total offense, 47 touchdowns and first team all-state honors. His grandfather was a member of the Oregon football team, so when the Ducks became the only FBS offer presented to him, it was an easy choice.
Moving to the backup quarterback role as a true freshman, Herbert became a fan favorite from the day he started against Washington in October. Eugene native, no major FBS offers other than his hometown team and his big-play ability all made fans quick to flock to Herbert.
Early results were tough, as Oregon went just 2-6 in 2016. A coaching change, though, led success for the Ducks, as they were 6-2 with Herbert under center a year later. Injuries, though, knocked him out and another coaching change came about.
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Herbert led the team to eight wins this past year, but they have yet to come close to competing for the Pac-12 title, and even further from being in the College Football Playoff discussion. While he’ll need much more for either of those to happen, it is a starting point to what could be a memorable season for the native son.