Oregon Football: Vernon Adams Is No Lock for Ducks' Starting QB Job

Oregon's spring practices are officially over, but the quarterback competition certainly isn't. 

Ever since Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. announced months ago that he was transferring to Oregon, the assumption was that he would be the successor to Marcus Mariota in 2015. However, Mariota's backup from the past two years, Jeff Lockie, has something to say about that. 

(And, to be fair, Ducks head coach Mark Helfrich has never said he's giving Adams the job.) 

In Oregon's spring game on Saturday, Lockie showed he wasn't about to hand over the keys to an offense that he's spent four years learning. 

Helfrich said on the Pac-12 teleconference earlier this week that Lockie, a redshirt junior, has been far and away the best quarterback during the spring. When asked what he wanted to see out of his quarterbacks in the spring game on Saturday, Helfrich replied, "Who produces? Who takes care of the ball?"

Lockie did both of those things Saturday afternoon, going an impressive 9-of-9 passing for 223 passing yards and three touchdowns in one half. For what it's worth, Oregon's other quarterbacks combined to go 8-for-17 for 119 yards and one touchdown before halftime, according to Ryan Thorburn of The Register-Guard. 

Yes, spring game stats, for better or worse, need to be taken with a grain of salt. Lockie was put in positions to make easy throws and be successful. Still, it was good to see that Lockie's mechanics and accuracy were on point. 

Andrew Greif of The Oregonian provided more context: 

"

Lockie looked poised, confident and the ball came out of his hand well. It was a sign that Oregon's coaches were not bluffing when they said during earlier spring practices that he was head and shoulders above the other four quarterbacks competing with him this spring. It's a good sign for Ducks fans, even with Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams Jr. arriving in Eugene this June as a transfer.

"

It was a solid overall performance and corroborated the praise Helfrich has been laying on Lockie all spring. "Jeff does a lot of things well," Helfrich said. "He is confident in how he goes about his business. The most important part of being a leader is a response and I think the guys around him on offense and defense believe in him. Everybody else is competing." 

Despite this, Helfrich wasn't about to name a starter following the spring game. The third-year head coach said this week that he ideally wanted to determine a No. 1 quarterback about a week and a half before the first game of the season. That, he said, would give him an opportunity to see what each player does well. 

With Adams coming in during the summer, why would Helfrich back himself into a corner by naming a starter? Don't let the small size—Adams was listed at 6'0" and 200 pounds on his Eastern Washington profile—or small program background fool you. Adams can straight up play. He'll improve the quarterback situation whether he starts or not. 

Competition, after all, is designed to make everyone better. 

So, the competition will remain open through summer and into preseason camp, with Adams and Lockie most likely going head-to-head for the job. Adams' athleticism and production at Eastern Washington certainly make him an intriguing option. However, the more Helfrich has leaked about Lockie, the easier it is to think that, just maybe, this guy has a real chance to start. 

His spring game performance did nothing to deter that line of thought. 

"

Will watch part of the spring game later, from what it sounds like and what I’ve heard, Vernon Adams, uh, better be ready.

— Dan Rubenstein (@DanRubenstein) May 2, 2015"

Oregon's quarterback battle may be unsettled, but that doesn't mean the Ducks don't have options. In fact, it could have two legitimate options. Not many programs can say that. 

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