Vernon Adams Transfers to Oregon: Latest Details and Reaction to QB's Decision

Marcus Mariota left a big hole in the Oregon offense when he declared for the NFL draft. The Ducks will attempt to compensate for his absence with the addition of Vernon Adams, who announced he will transfer to Oregon.      

Continue for updates.

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Eastern Washington Coach Speaks About Adams' Transfer

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Matt Prehm of 247 Sports provided comments from EWU head coach Beau Baldwin, who spoke about Adams' transfer:

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I disagree with a lot of it," Baldwin said of the rule allowing Adams to be eligible right away. "Both with Oregon and the NCAA, but I want what's best for Vernon.

We're not rolling out the red carpet for a guy we are going to play week one...It's not what the rule is intended for."

[...]

"We were the ones who developed him [Adams] from a level out of high school, he wasn't at that level. When you are Oregon and over the last three or four years and you're not recruiting a number of guys who can fill in when Marcus Mariota leaves, what are you doing over there," Baldwin asked.

It's the truth. That part is just baffling. I think there should always be two or three guys loaded up and ready to go.

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Adams Announces Transfer to Oregon

Monday, Feb. 9

The Eastern Washington quarterback announced via Twitter he will transfer to the Pac-12 champions (h/t Andrew Greif of The Oregonian):

Bleacher Report college football analyst Michael Felder broke down the move and what this means for Oregon's offense:

Since Oregon is without a suitable replacement already on the roster and 2015 recruit Travis Waller is a year or two away from being ready, many wondered whether the Ducks would seriously pursue transfer options.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller was discussed as a potential target, but that always seemed a bit pie-in-the-sky for Oregon. While Adams doesn't have the name recognition or FBS experience that Miller does, he should provide an immediate impact on the field for the Ducks.

You can see Adams' stats from his days with the Eagles below:

	Pass Yds	Comp. %	TD	INT	Rush Yds	Rush TD
2012	1,961	60.9	20	8	342	1
2013	4,994	65.6	55	15	605	4
2014	3,483	66.1	35	8	285	6

Most expect Adams to start right away for the Ducks when the season kicks off. However, Adams knows that the job won't simply be handed to him, per 247Sports' Justin Hopkins:

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Oregon hasn't promised me anything. They told me they are comfortable with the guys they have but they are looking for someone with game experience and a veteran leadership to come in and compete for the starting job. They didn't promise me I'd be the starter just by simply transferring.

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Although Adams will have to work for the starting job, it seems unlikely that both he and the school will go through all the trouble of this transfer simply for him to sit on the bench for a year. In addition, he's better than anything else with which the Ducks could counter in 2015.

Making the jump from FCS to FBS will be quite an adjustment, but it's an adjustment he should be equipped to handle. Greif spoke to a coach from the FCS level who is confident Adams can thrive in the top division:

Adams has had some experience playing against tough opposition. In 2013, he sparked a 49-46 upset of then-No. 25 Oregon State, throwing for 411 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for another 107 yards and two TDs. He also torched the Washington defense in 2014, throwing for 475 yards and seven touchdowns in a 59-52 loss.

Stylistically, Adams is a natural fit for the Oregon system. He's an accurate passer with the kind of mobility to extend a play. Although Eastern Washington's offense isn't an exact replica of Oregon's, the two are at least similar enough.

Of course, it's far from a slam dunk that Adams will thrive in Eugene. Greif wrote that learning the nuances of Ducks' uptempo style could be a bit tricky early on:

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The biggest reservation coaches have for Adams' possible jump is not his ability, which is raved about by everyone. Rather, it's how quickly he can get up to speed in a new system with him likely to miss spring practices as he earns his degree. He could begin workouts with the Ducks in the summer. Under a rule implemented in 2014, coaches can monitor summer workouts that were previously closed to them, but they aren't full-fledged 11-on-11 practices where Adams can put his knowledge of a new playbook into action.

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Adams doesn't need to be the next coming of Mariota for Oregon to contend for a national championship in 2015. After all, the Ducks made the BCS National Championship Game in 2011 with Darron Thomas under center.

As long as Adams can pick up the offensive scheme in a relatively short amount of time, he should put Oregon in a great position to be among the best teams in the country again.