Oregon Football: Ducks Make Quarterback Decision, But Does It Matter?

Oregon coach Chip Kelly has finally settled on his starting quarterback for the season opener against New Mexico, and it will be sophomore Darron Thomas from Aldine, Texas.

Thomas had battled fifth year senior Nate Costa for the job, but ultimately won out due to a number of factors, not the least of which may have been Costa's surgically repaired knee.

So now that Thomas has claimed the signal caller gig, what does this mean for Oregon and their prospects in the Pac-10?

Ultimately, this question may be overvalued, if not overrated.

Take a moment and think back to the last five starting quarterbacks for Oregon. Joey Harrington, Jason Fife, Kellen Clemens, Dennis Dixon, and Jeremy Masoli. Of this group, each had a lot of success and other than Fife and of course Masoli (who is now with Ole Miss), each made it to the NFL. No matter who plays quarterback for the Ducks, they seem to play well.

This season will likely be the same due to one basic fact—Oregon has perhaps the most talented team, top to bottom, that they have had in a decade. No matter who plays QB, they will be in a position to succeed.

The Ducks are returning nearly their entire team from a year ago. The receiving corps returns, as does their starting running back LaMichael James. Most importantly, however, they will return their entire offensive line.

The QB in this system basically needs to avoid making mistakes and simply manage the game. Their defense should be able to do the rest.

That being said, the choice of Thomas definitely will force opposing coaches to lose a little bit more sleep than they otherwise might have with the prospects of Costa as the starter.

No offense to Costa; his toughness and determination make him a player to be admired. The simple truth is that Thomas brings so much more to the table.

Looking at the tale of the tape, Thomas wins running away, literally and figuratively. Thomas is taller, faster, stronger, and more athletic. He appears to have a bigger arm and will force the defense to play on their heels, much in the same way that Masoli and Dixon did before him.

Many have questioned whether Thomas really was a better fit than the grizzled veteran, arguing that Costa would be a better game manager. Obviously those folks haven't seen these gentlemen on the field.

Costa and Thomas are both dual threat quarterbacks in the mold of Masoli and Dixon. They both have struggled in the past with accuracy (neither completed more than 59 percent of their passes in high school), but they both rely on their feet for their effectiveness (each rushed for over 600 yards as seniors in high school).

They are not different types of quarterbacks; Thomas does what Costa does, but he does it better.

While both are effective running the ball, Thomas runs a 4.5 40, while Costa is likely down from his 4.6 that he ran as a senior in high school considering his knee surgeries.

While both may struggle with their accuracy from time to time, Thomas is 6'4" and can see over his linemen, while Costa at four inches shorter may struggle getting his ball off the line of scrimmage.

At the end of the day, you want your quarterback to put fear or at least doubt in the minds of your opponents, and Thomas has that ability.

The one thing you fear about putting an inexperienced young quarterback on the field is the prospect of the blitz rattling the young gun, but Thomas' elusiveness and quickness effectively counters this strategy as defenses will fear being out of position should he run.

Ultimately, the Ducks are lucky to have two good choices at quarterback and both should see playing time this season. But at the end of the day, the quarterback you want at the helm of this team is Darron Thomas.

Unless, of course, you are an opponent!