Yost evaluating who will be next Duck QB

Last season Oregon proved something on the field. Their offense is predicated upon a good quarterback leading the way. The proof was clear throughout the season. When Vernon Adams was in, the Ducks were good. When any other quarterback was in; they were not.

So it makes sense that finding a guy to take over the 2016 version of the Duck offense is crucial to their overall success. This spring camp they hope to identify that guy and right now they are looking at three, graduate transfer senior Dakota Prukop, redshirt freshman Travis Jonsen and true freshman and early enrollee Terry Wilson. And this spring that has also more or less been their order on the “depth chart”.

Working with them this year will be David Yost, who just showed up in Eugene three months ago after being added to the offensive coaching staff in the wake of Scott Frost’s departure. With Matt Lubick moving to offensive coordinator, Yost brings his considerable coaching resume with the role of quarterback coach/passing game coordinator.

Just past the midpoint of spring is too early to tell much from three brand new guys so he gave Duck Sports Authority his take on the current situation.

“We have some really talented guys,” said Yost. “We just need to fine tune the quarterback position. Dakota, Travis and Terry all throw the ball really well. We have to use our feet better to put ourselves in a position to be successful.

“We still have to fine tune running the offense. Each guy is at a different point in that. Travis is probably the most advanced in the offense just because a year under Coach Frost last year. Dakota has done a good job of catching up as fast as he could be being here in January. Terry being here now basically two and a half weeks, there is a lot going on in his head right now but he is getting a lot better at getting the signals in.”

When Oregon runs the no-huddle offense the key communicator is the quarterback. They cannot be fast-paced if each guy doesn’t know where to be or what to do on the next play in a timely fashion. This is something that is a work in progress after three weeks of camp.

“That is a big part of what we do; get the signal, communicate it then give the information to who he needs to give it to. And then execute it. We are making strides but we are still kind of in the infancy of understanding the offense so well that it’s second nature.”

So Yost and the Ducks are loading their new quarterbacks up fast and seeing how they handle it.

“We need to get a great evaluation on Dakota, Travis and Terry on where they are at, in conjunction of what we know with Jeff and Taylor,” said Yost. “All the experience they gained last year, all the playing time, all the practice time. I’m really the only new guy on offense. Every other offensive coach has evaluated all that. I have watched all the video from last year.

“We need to expedite the learning curve. How far can Dakota get? How far can Travis get? How far can Terry get? When we get into two-a-days this summer, who are the guys we are focusing on to be The Guy?”

The answer to those questions is to be largely answered in the next few weeks and Duck fans will get to see them all April 30th at the spring game.