Ranking Oregon starting QB's careers since 1986

[GoDucksTroll]

Note: my timeline starts with Akili. I was 10 years old when he was the QB and anything before that I was too young to care.

If we are going by career, which I take to be a mix of team and individual success, I’d have it like this.
1. Marcus
Tier
2. Joey
Tier
3. Darron
4. Herbert
Tier
5. Masoli
6. Akili
7. Clemens
Tier
8. Dixon
9. VA
10. Jason Fife and AJ Feeley also belong on the list. Fife was actually pretty good during the 6-0 start before the wheels came off. That’s my hottest take. Honorary mention for Justin Slim Reaper Roper for his career.
Lockie and Burmeister take the crown for worst starter with more than one start, Cody Kempt for worst QB ever, and Chris Harper for worst quarter of quarterbacking.

Why I have Dixon so low: 3/4 of one fantastic Heisman-type year, and a controversial win over Oklahoma are his positives, but he was an interception machine before Chip. VA is also in the 3/4 of one great season club. Masoli over Clemens was hard, Clemens was better and the 05 squad was a BCS caliber team. Akili ahead of Clemens was also debatable, but at the time his season was revolutionary for Oregon football. DT led Oregon to a championship game and almost the crystal football when Auburn shut down the run, he won a Rose Bowl. Herbert is just behind him, as others have said he suffered from the worst group of skill guys and coaching turmoil. Numbers 1 and 2 are not up for debate for me.

[OregonFan4Life]

I'm assuming everyone's list is only taking college play into consideration, it'll be interesting in a few years to see where Herbert climbs to in regards to Oregon QB's in the NFL. Can he pass Fouts?

[Duck07]

I'm assuming everyone's list is only taking college play into consideration, it'll be interesting in a few years to see where Herbert climbs to in regards to Oregon QB's in the NFL. Can he pass Fouts?

Yes. That said, Herbert's 4 years are special in their own right for what he was able to accomplish by taking a team that had eroded its talent and coaching advantage and helped bring it back to P12 and Rose Bowl Champions. I can only imagine what Keenan and Sammie would have done with Justin's arm strength on the field too. It's certainly a fun exercise; I tend to think Darron Thomas was in the "right place, right time" for his skill-set but that doesn't diminish what he did either.

[lukeyrid13]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

[StevensTechU]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

Amen.

I think it would frankly be more insightful to list the "25 best seasons by a QB" in the last 25 years, or whatever time period you want. If you compare careers, there's a lot of apples to oranges comparisons occurring, and that will at least remove some of it.

[OregonFan4Life]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

For the first 3 quarters I would too, but I do feel like I remember some bad plays in clutch moments from him. But he was dynamic and efficient for most of the game.

[SuperDuck]

1. Marcus Mariota
2. Dennis Dixon
3. Justin Herbert
4. Joey Harrington
5. Darron Thomas
6. Akili Smith
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Vernon Adams
9. Chris Miller
10. Kellen Clemens
11. AJ Feeley
11. Danny O'Neil
12. Bill Musgrave

[StevensTechU]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

For the first 3 quarters I would too, but I do feel like I remember some bad plays in clutch moments from him. But he was dynamic and efficient for most of the game.

Really? Guy was incredibly clutch. Only exception was when he has a broken finger at Michigan State. Even then, he deserves major props for trying so we didn't have to endure the certainty of losing with Lockie.

[GoDucksTroll]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

Amen.

I think it would frankly be more insightful to list the "25 best seasons by a QB" in the last 25 years, or whatever time period you want. If you compare careers, there's a lot of apples to oranges comparisons occurring, and that will at least remove some of it.

I agree. Career accomplishment vs best season vs the guy you want if losing in the fourth quarter vs talent.

Marcus has the greatest career and season, but my memories of him in close games aren’t as good as of Harrington, Masoli, or VA. With Marcus you won because you’re blowing them out of the water, Masoli or VA seemed to produce clutch firsts and TDs out of thin air.

[OregonFan4Life]

If it's just one game, I'm taking VA over a lot of these guys.

For the first 3 quarters I would too, but I do feel like I remember some bad plays in clutch moments from him. But he was dynamic and efficient for most of the game.

Really? Guy was incredibly clutch. Only exception was when he has a broken finger at Michigan State. Even then, he deserves major props for trying so we didn't have to endure the certainty of losing with Lockie.

I may be remembering incorrectly, didn't he also have a late bad interception against USC that caused the game to be closer than it should've? And even despite his amazing play at ASU to end regulation didn't he have a pretty rough second half before then? I guess as many bad plays in clutch moments that he had he also had good plays in clutch moments as well.

[lukeyrid13]

^ I’ll look up the stats and edit. But I think VA was nearly perfect that USC game. Like 80% completion, 450 yards and 5 TDs

Edit:
20/25
407 yards
6 TD
1 int
Pretty sure 6 TD is tied with Herbert (cal 2016) and I think Oneil for most in a single game

[GoDucksTroll]

^ I’ll look up the stats and edit. But I think VA was nearly perfect that USC game. Like 80% completion, 450 yards and 5 TDs

Edit:
20/25
407 yards
6 TD
1 int
Pretty sure 6 TD is tied with Herbert (cal 2016) and I think Oneil for most in a single game

288.0 passer rating. VA was lights out, that Justin Wilcox and Keith Heyward USC secondary was toast.

Career high in passer rating
Darron: 303.1 (against Nevada, vs P-5 best is 206)
VA: 288.0
Marcus: 260.5
Masoli: 258.3
Herbert: 236.7
Dixon: 229.6
Clemens: 216.9

I’d chalk up ASU, Washington, Cal, and Oregon State as games where VA just made play after play in ones that could have easily been losses. Michigan State he almost did as well, and that was one of the best defenses in the country - I think if he doesn’t have that glove on his injured hand then he doesn’t overthrow Byron Marshall (I think it was Marshall) by inches in the end zone.

Dude just had ice water in his veins, as cliche as that is. Maybe his style is just perfect for those moments, scramble so he could see over the line and take so long that the coverage crumbles.

[OregonFan4Life]

I must be getting VA confused with someone else. I just thought for some reason in clutch moments he’d either make an amazing play or crazy mistakes. But I do remember how impressive he was, it was unfortunate we didn’t have him for multiple years.