Why Oregon Was Right to Target Vernon Adams Jr. over Braxton Miller

Oregon is all-in on Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams Jr. as a possible replacement for Marcus Mariota. Adams is all-in on proving that he can play at the highest level of college football. Maybe, along the way, he'll show he's a candidate to play in the NFL. 

If the marriage works, Adams and the Ducks could get back to the College Football Playoff.

It is a calculated risk, just like any transfer. Though Adams was prolific in the Football Championship Subdivision, totaling nearly 11,000 passing yards and 121 all-purpose touchdowns, he'll have to learn Oregon's offense and terminology within a matter of months. He'll have even less time to build chemistry with existing players. 

Would Oregon have been better off pursuing Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller? Miller, of course, was at the center of myriad transfer rumors connecting him to Duke and Florida State, among other places. 

However, in an interview with Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, Adams said Oregon was willing to give him first dibs over Miller in joining the program: 

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Adams' decision came down to Oregon or staying at Eastern Washington. Texas tried to recruit him but came in too late in the process, he said. Adams talked to UCLA and considered taking a visit there the week after he visited Oregon, but opted not to after thinking more about his situation. He said he had no idea what Miller might do, and that "Oregon told me straight up that they were coming after me and, if they didn’t get me, then maybe they go after him, but they said they were coming after me first.

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So why Adams over Miller? For one, it's a matter of pure availability. 

A transfer can never become a transfer—or at least one permitted within NCAA rules—without the athlete first receiving permission to contact from his first school. And, yes, that applies to grad transfers, too. It's not like Oregon can waltz into any facility building it wants and recruit positions of need, nor can a player start calling up any coach he wants to gauge interest. 

The term "free agency" gets thrown around loosely in grad transfer stories, but the reality is it's not even close.  

It'd be a violation of NCAA rules if Oregon had gone to Adams before he received permission to contact; by no accounts did that happen: 

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Adams got permission from Eastern Washington to contact other schools and reached out to Boise State, UCLA and Oregon — and discovered that this time the big-time programs were very interested in him. "I was definitely surprised" that Oregon was so interested, he said. "I never thought I was an Oregon-type quarterback. You know, it's the No. 2 team in the nation. So, it was just really crazy and very humbling."

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As for Miller, well, he never got that far. He's still with Ohio State and enrolled in classes, and he will participate in some capacity during spring practices. It'd be a different story if Miller were actively looking to transfer. While it's possible he contemplated it at one point, it never materialized to the point where Oregon could do something about it. 

But let's say, hypothetically, that Miller was on the market to transfer as a grad student. Would Oregon still have pursued Adams first? Miller, after all, graduated in December and could have joined sooner. 

Not to suggest Oregon lied to, or even misled, Adams, but keep in mind the Ducks are still recruiting him. Part of that process includes telling players things they want to hear. Lo and behold, those were Adams' exact words to Jim Allen of The Spokesman-Review last month. 

"They told me a lot of things I wanted to hear," Adams said of Oregon. 

How Oregon's stance would have differed, if at all, with Miller as a possibility would have been fascinating to see, but ultimately it's a moot point. 

There's also the matter of Miller's health. In that regard, there could be some truth to the puffery Oregon offered Adams. Miller is coming off a shoulder injury that has hampered him for the past year. Though Miller is throwing again—an excellent sign—he won't throw with any sort of velocity until May, according Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer:

With injuries, there can be setbacks. Miller is a prime example of that, having missed all of last season because he reinjured his shoulder last August. He might be on the road to recovery, but Adams is already there. 

Remember how bringing on transfers is a calculated risk? Injuries and recovery timelines play a part in that. Adams lacks big-time college football experience and size, but he's played exceptionally well against FBS Washington and Oregon State with 11 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Miller has that winning experience in the Big Ten but hasn't played a snap in over a year. These are the things Oregon had to weigh. 

Folks often associate the word "fit" with how a player meshes with an offense. However, it also applies to how individual situations align. Yes, Adams fits the spread quarterback profile, but Oregon was interested in upgrading its depth chart, and Adams was ready for a new challenge. 

Oregon may have had other options beyond Adams, or potentially Miller, but there's value in pursuing what feels right. That appears to have been the case for both sides here. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.