Redshirt freshman Ty Thompson could go to many schools and automatically be their starting quarterback without having to compete for the job.
He also could have transferred out of Oregon on more than a few occasions. Thompson could have left after Anthony Brown won the job at the beginning of the 2021 season. He could have transferred after not starting the bowl game. He could have left after Mario Cristobal resigned and went to Miami. And he could have bolted after Auburn transfer Bo Nix arrived.
But through all of that, Thompson stayed.
“I feel like if I put myself in the best position to help the team whether it’s as a starter, as a backup, as whatever,” he said. “If I’m in practice making big plays, making the right decisions … not necessarily big plays but making the right decisions. That’s where I want to see myself, being right more times than not. Hopefully a lot more times than not.”
As a five-star recruit, and as a quarterback, his attitude is quite, unfortunately, out of the ordinary. It’s ‘team first,’ not ‘me first.’
The transfer portal has made it much easier for college players to seek out more playing time elsewhere without having to sit out a year. With players being on the move more than ever, it’s refreshing to see someone with Thompson’s talent willing to stick it out, compete and see where the ball bounces.
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