The line to fill former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota’s shoes is crowded. Redshirt freshman Morgan Mahalak is one of the Ducks’ returning quarterbacks vying for a chance to start.
Mahalak met with the media Friday morning to discuss his redshirt season and his relationship with fellow quarterback Jeff Lockie.
What did last year mean to you? Getting the chance to practice with the scout team and practice at this level?
Yeah, it was a great learning experience for me and for the team. We got a lot of really good reps against a really good defense so that was great for me and my development. Now it’s time to take a step up and go on to bigger and better things. I’m just trying to do the best to be on this team.
At what point did you feel like you had a grasp on the playbook?
Now. I feel pretty confident each and every day in the film room, learning as much as I can and translating it onto the field as best as I can.
When there are five guys involved in the competition – and another one coming – how do you sort that out? 
You can’t really focus on the other guys. They’re my teammates, they’re my brothers, but all I can do is my job. There’s only one quarterback on the field at once so when I’m in there, I do the best that I can. When I’m not, I’m encouraging the guys as best I can, as well.
How does Jeff Lockie balance helping the younger guys and competing for the job that he wants so bad? 
He does a great job. He’s a great teammate, and a great friend and we’re all helping each other out, and that’s big. The tighter we get our group, the better we’ll be as a team because we’ll just make each other better. It’s a good room to be in.
Both being from the Bay Area, did you gravitate to Jeff when you first got here? 
A little bit. He’s a great guy, and like I said, he’s a great teammate and a great guy and someone I could really look up to.
What other qualities do you look up to him for?
In Jeff? He’s really smart, and he’s known that for a while. In any way I can pick his brain is always beneficial for me. He’s always got tons of great advice. He’s a mentor.
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt