After winning the starting job during a frantic and shortened offseason and taking the Ducks to a 4-3 season, Tyler Shough has decided to enter the transfer portal.
Shough was the heir apparent after Justin Herbert’s departure to the NFL and the redshirt sophomore did indeed start all seven of Oregon’s games in 2020, throwing for 1,559 yards, 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while completing 63.5 percent of his throws. But on Friday, Shough took to social media to announce his decision to leave the program:
Many blessings and opportunities ahead! Hebrews 11:1 pic.twitter.com/e8MyWCwyn6
— Tyler Shough (@tylershough2) February 12, 2021
The former four-star prospect from Chandler, Arizona came to the program in 2018 and utilized a redshirt as he waited for an opportunity to open up behind Justin Herbert and Braxton Burmeister. Shough recorded his first official passes as a Duck the following year, though he still played only a minor role - tallying 12-of-15 passes for 144 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Shough’s limited but promising performance against Nevada (8-of-9 for 92 yards, two TDs) and USC (2-of-3 for 41 yards, one touchdown, one massive block) in 2019 gave plenty for Duck fans to be excited about, however, as the chaotic 2020 season waged on and the turnovers and losses began to stack up, some fans grew weary of Shough as a starter. And with the addition of grad-transfer Anthony Brown Jr. into the QB rotation during Oregon’s two biggest games (the PAC-12 Championship game and the Fiesta Bowl) it appears the coaches also began to lose faith in Shough as a starter.
The Ducks will likely look to either Anthony Brown Jr, redshirt freshmen Robby Ashford, Jay Butterfield or incoming true-freshman Ty Thompson for the 2021 season. Best of luck, Shough! Once a Duck, always a Duck!