Bryan Bennett
Sophomore
6’3″, 199 pounds
Encino, Calif.
Coming off a stellar redshirt freshman year behind two-year starter Darron Thomas, Bryan Bennett entered the spring season as the favorite to take over as Oregon’s next signal caller. Unfortunately for Bennett, a frustrating performance in the Spring Game left a poor taste in some fans’ mouths, following what was believed to be a very good month of practice. In limited action last season, he completed 25-of-46 passes for 369 yards and six touchdowns without throwing an interception and carried the ball 23 times for 200 more yards. What stood out most about Bennett in the eight games he appeared in was his incredible arm strength and great top-end speed. However, those intangibles were somewhat overshadowed by a pair of interceptions and an early fumble in the spring game. Knowing his work ethic and overall competitiveness, that performance likely added to an already motivated offseason training regiment.
Marcus Mariota
Redshirt freshman
6’4″, 196 pounds
Honolulu, Hawaii
Few players made more of an impact on the Oregon fan base than Marcus Mariota following the Ducks’ Spring Game in April. Mariota has the size and composure that seemed to remind fans of Dennis Dixon, and his 82-yard touchdown run proved he’s more than a capable runner in Chip Kelly’s offense. Having spent last season as the team’s No. 3 quarterback and member of the travel squad, it seems Mariota isn’t far behind Bryan Bennett in terms of grasping the offense conceptually. By most measures, it doesn’t appear that either quarterback holds much of an edge over the other entering summer camp. This leads most people to believe there will be a steady month of competition between the two before Kelly names a starter the week of the Arkansas State game. At this point, though, it’s anyone’s guess who that might be.
Jake Rodrigues
Freshman
6’3″, 205 pounds
Rocklin, Calif.
Coming off a leg injury that prevented him from doing much in the spring season, Rodriquez figures to take over Mariota’s spot as the team’s No. 3 quarterback. Since he didn’t play in the spring game, little is known about him entering summer camp. As a senior at Whitney High School, however, he threw for 2,036 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for another 684 yards and 15 scores in 2011. He was a finalist for the 2011 Elite 11 Quarterback Competition and ought to compete for playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2013.