The dog days of summer have arrived.

And while there’s little cause for celebration during this portion of the calendar, there is good news to report:

WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview has arrived as well!

As fall camp fast approaches, WFOD will be rolling out an in-depth series of position-by-position previews to help you fully prepare for the upcoming season.

Monday marks the launch of our Fall Camp Preview series, which begins with a breakdown of Oregon’s quarterbacks.

As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.

The Headliner

Just as it’s been for the better part of the past three seasons, senior quarterback Justin Herbert resides as the marquee name in the quarterback room at Oregon. In fact, you can safely extend that title to encompass the team as a whole, as the quality of Herbert’s play will likely serve as the driving force behind whatever the Ducks are able to accomplish in a season that could redefine the program and launch a new era of college football prosperity in Eugene.

By now, Duck fans have the Herbert backstory committed to memory. Herbert is the local kid who (quite literally) grew up in the shadows of Autzen Stadium before emerging as a star quarterback within its confines. Having effectively captivated the attention of the NFL draft intelligencia the past few seasons thanks in large part to his impressive physical stature (6’6″, 233 lbs.) and tantalizing physical skills, the burden is on Herbert to make good on these expectations by proving that he can consistently perform at a championship level in his final collegiate season. With the potential to etch his name at, or near the top, of a number of school records by the time his career at Oregon comes to an end, this talented team will only go as far as Herbert is able to lead them in 2019.

The Supporting Ensemble

The ensemble, in this case, happens to be cast of one. However, if the offseason scuttle and his past two performances in the Oregon spring game are any precursor for what’s to come, redshirt freshman Tyler Shough may just be a rising star for the Ducks at quarterback. Though he appeared in four games last season, Shough attempted nary a pass, as Oregon usually held a commanding lead in the games he played in. Yet, that fact evidently hasn’t hamstrung Shough’s development.

Shough’s performance in the spring game this past April was particularly reflective of that notion, as he flashed impressive arm strength and pocket presence en route to completing 18-of-31 passes for 178 yards. And while Shough would be credited with an interception that came on a final desperation heave at the end of the game, the positives far outweighed the negatives once the final accounting of his outing was complete. The question now is, where does Shough factor in in 2019? In all likelihood, the answer to that is simple: As long as Herbert is upright, bank on Shough serving once again as the capable understudy before becoming the odds-on favorite to win the starting job in 2020.

The Intriguing New Cast Member

With Herbert and Shough firmly entrenched as the first and second-team quarterbacks, respectively, it seems unlikely that true freshman Cale Millen will have much of a role on game days this fall. After enrolling in school this past winter, Millen has had the opportunity to get a head start in adjusting to life as a freshman student-athlete. However, a nagging injury suffered early in the spring curtailed any significant strides Millen could make in pushing Shough in the competition for QB2. The wonder now is where Millen is in his development once fall camp opens in August.

Millen certainly has ability, as the son of former Washington Huskies quarterback Hugh Millen (’84-’85) was dominant over the course of his three-year varsity career at Snoqualmie (Wash.) Mount Si High School. During that span, Millen completed nearly 70 percent (69.7) of his pass attempts for 8,288 yards and 104 touchdowns against just 19 interceptions, earning the KingCo League Co-Offensive MVP along with first-team all-state honors by the Seattle Times as a senior. How those gaudy statistics and accolades translate to the collegiate level will be something to monitor over the next several months.

The Stirring Subplot

To what level can Justin Herbert elevate the play of his teammates?

This is perhaps the most important and fundamental question facing the Ducks entering the 2019 season. To this point, Herbert has absolutely proven to be a catalyst for this team, as Oregon has been rather listless offensively on the occasions when Herbert has been out of the lineup. But aside from providing stability and explosive potential for the Ducks on offense, we’re still waiting for Herbert to prove that he can consistently be the kind transformative player that makes the supporting cast around him better.

Oregon’s inconsistencies on offense last season have been well documented with plenty of blame to go around, and Herbert certainly isn’t immune to the criticism. Much has been rightfully made of the struggles that Oregon’s pass catchers endured last season, but it wasn’t uncommon either for Herbert to struggle to make his way through progressions and target receivers not named Dillon Mitchell. Yes, 52 drops as a team will understandably erode the confidence of a quarterback, but without Mitchell in 2019, Herbert – with the help of his receivers and the offensive brain trust – must overcome whatever doubts he may have about his skilled talent and be the kind of quarterback that finds a way to elevate the play of his teammates. The greats who have played the position do exactly that, and with more experience and talent surrounding him than ever before, this is Herbert’s final chance to prove that he’s a player worthy of the offseason hype he’s received.