McLaughlin: Oregon Ducks Playing Beaver Ball With Latest QB Commit
By SPENCER McLAUGHLIN
Contributor, 750 The Game
Oregon’s latest commitment is 3-star QB Bryson Beaver, a one-time Boise State commit. Beaver puts Oregon’s recruiting class just outside the top 30 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings. That’s still well outside where the Ducks expect to recruit, having pulled in 3 straight top 10 classes for the first time in program history.
The irony of Bryson’s last name being Beaver isn’t lost on me. Oregon’s other latest recruit is 5-star safety Jett Washington. The Ducks have bolstered their class with Beaver and Washington. I chuckled, and hope you did too.
Anyway…
Beaver is not one of the more highly coveted QB prospects in this 2026 class. The Ducks moved in his direction after 5-star QB Ryder Lyons committed to BYU, a historic pickup for the Cougars. 5-star QB Jared Curtis committed to Georgia in early May. Those were high profile misses that left Oregon’s staff looking for a signal caller in their 2026 class.
I wondered for a while if Dan Lanning and Will Stein would consider not adding a high school QB prospect. The depth in their QB room is stronger than it has been since 2011. Bryson Beaver makes that argument even more solidified. That 2011 season had Darron Thomas, Bryan Bennett, and some redshirting freshman 3-star recruit from Hawaii named Marcus Mariota.
Dante Moore and Austin Novosad both just need a chance to showcase their skills in Oregon’s offense. Luke Moga is a freakish athlete who has made huge strides throwing the ball since last year. Akili Smith Jr. looked the part from the moment he stood behind center during the Spring Game back on April 26th. I was impressed with how comfortable Smith looked back there in his first serious college test. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Now, Beaver comes into the mix in what could be a somewhat defensive move by the Oregon coaching staff. Will all 4 QBs currently on the roster be there in 2026? I doubt it. Austin Novosad is too talented to wait all the way until 2027 to get a chance to start, presuming he doesn’t beat Dante Moore for the job this year or next. I suspect it will be Dante Moore but I’ve seen crazier things happen in college sports…I mean, Oregon is going to travel to RUTGERS for a conference game this year.
Oregon was going after Beaver and 4-star QB Matt Ponatoski to ensure they have a QB in the cycle. The starting potential of both is very real, but I was more impressed with the tape of Beaver despite being the lower-rated recruit. Recruiting is an imperfect science. Cam Ward was a 0-star recruit and just got taken #1 overall in the NFL Draft, while 5-star QB DJ Uiagalelei went undrafted.
Beaver has a lively arm. He moves well. Some of the throws he puts on tape show serious high-end potential. He might need to bulk up a bit, but frankly he reminds me a lot of Bryan Bennett. They’re both over 6 feet tall, move well and can throw on the run. Beaver’s arm is probably a touch better, while Bennett’s speed was more elite than Beaver’s. Still, it’s hard for me to see another former Oregon QB when I watch his tape.
Bennett won games when called upon in 2011, leading the Ducks to wins over Colorado and #18 Arizona State following an injury to Darron Thomas. He was clearly the backup for a reason to Thomas, but to me looked like someone who the Ducks could have won games with.
If Beaver’s career works out that way to be a multi-year backup who wins games when called upon, I would consider that a success. Given how crowded the Oregon QB room is with talented players, that might be the most likely outcome. But a guy who needs a little refinement is a great fit into a room that has so many options.
I don’t want to overlook his starting potential, because it’s very real. He has enough arm talent to start one day. Whether or not he emerges from the crowd will probably be up to him.
Spencer McLaughlin is an Oregon Ducks football contributor to 750 The Game. He also hosts the “Locked On Oregon Ducks” and “Locked On College Football” podcasts and has work featured throughout the season here.