Former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough watched from the sideline at the Rose Bowl as his teammate, starting quarterback Justin Herbert, trotted into the end zone back in January of 2020, leading the Ducks to a thrilling 28-27 win over Wisconsin.

Shough had waited in the wings for two years, redshirting in his freshman season (2018) and throwing all of 15 passes that following year. It was expected that all of his patience and time relegated to the bench would lead to a starting role once Herbert left Oregon.

And it did.

Shough beat out transfer Anthony Brown for the starting spot in 2020, but the QB job is always a tenuous one, and he was gone to Texas Tech by 2021 while Brown took his turn.

Now, with Brown exhausting his eligibility, a completely new Oregon coaching regime faces a similar decision to the one two years ago. Head coach Dan Lanning and his staff will utilize the next seven months leading up to the Ducks season to determine who will start at quarterback.

Sophomore Ty Thompson, who bided his time as a five-star freshman last fall, or graduate transfer Bo Nix?

“Competition breeds excellence,” Lanning said. “I’m looking for leadership and work ethic. It has to leave the field and be exuded in the classroom and how you operate day-in and day-out.”