Vernon Adams or Jeff Lockie? It will have to play out for Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon’s quest to replace quarterback Marcus Mariota has already seen its share of drama.

Talented transfer Vernon Adams finally arrived on campus after a cliffhanger finish to his Eastern Washington career, while Mariota’s backup, Jeff Lockie, worked hard to differentiate himself from the newcomer.

Coach Mark Helfrich said that ideally he’d like to name a starter in advance of Oregon’s opener on Sept. 5 against – interestingly enough – Eastern Washington. But it depends.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Helfrich said. “It has to play itself out. If that’s decided in a week, in two months, then it’s decided. You can’t put a time frame on it.”

It will be difficult for either candidate to step out of Mariota’s shadow. The Heisman-winning quarterback set a Pac-12 single-season record for total touchdowns with 58, including 42 via pass, 15 on the run and one touchdown catch. He also set the conference mark for career touchdowns with 136.

He declared his eligibility for the NFL draft shortly after the Ducks fell 42-20 to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game and was the No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans. Under Mariota, the Ducks finished last season 13-2 and ranked No. 2.

Lockie was his backup last season, completing 21 of 27 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. But the redshirt junior was impressive in this year’s spring game, completing all nine of his passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns while leading his team to a 35-29 victory.

“Coach Helfrich wants competition because that will make us all better,” Lockie said. “I don’t think any of us can argue against that.”

As a first-year player at Oregon, Adams is unavailable to talk to the media before the season opener. And, since practices are closed, there is limited chance to know exactly how the competition with Lockie is going.