There has been no official announcement yet as to who will take the field as starting QB against Georgia in 30 days for the Oregon Ducks. In fact coach Dan Lanning recently commented about how he loves having multiple options at QB on the roster. But with inconsistency at the QB position throughout the 2021 season with Anthony Brown at the helm, Ducks fans are probably looking for a reliable starter. So the question is, do you trust the battle tested veteran in Bo Nix or the 5 star recruit Ty Thompson.
Nix transferred to Eugene on December 19, 2021, with many thinking that Nix would eventually earn the starting nod due to his past work with Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. Nix also has three seasons of SEC west experience under his belt, including wins over Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and even Oregon. In fact, Nix’s first game of his career was a comeback win in Dallas against Oregon. While Nix certainly has shown a lot more on the field than Thompson, he also has shown his limitations. He has made puzzling throws at times and is also 0-3 against Georgia in his career, the Duck’s first opponent this season.
Who Should Start Week 1?
Nix knows starting is not a given, even after starting at Auburn and being one of the nation’s most sought after QB recruits in the class of 2019. When asked about what he would do if he lost the starting spot, Nix reportedly said, “Why would I think about failure?” Five star Sophomore Ty Thompson has rarely seen any game action for the Ducks since joining the program in 2021 and is still largely unknown. Thompson played the entire second half of a game against Stony Brook and the last drive of a game against Colorado last season. While Thompson looked great against Stony Brook, he threw an interception against the Buffaloes and looked shaky.
Thompson clearly posses great arm talent and has serious upside, but Nix is by far the more proven product. At this point, the starting job competition between Nix and Thompson could really go any way. If I had to guess who starts week 1, I’d lean Nix, which would make total sense due to his vast advantage in experience and big wins in his career. While it is impossible to know exactly what Dan Lanning is thinking, I would have to believe that Nix will begin the year as starter and Thompson will take over his spot if Nix is not performing up to the Ducks’ standard. Nix ultimately wins the QB debate due currently due to the uncertainty of Ty Thompson, who has not seen enough game action to justify himself being better than Bo Nix yet.