Why Did Darron Thomas Leave?

Bryan Bennett must be better than he let on in those impressive fill-in performances he gave this year.

He must be an effective ball carrier and a precise passer. He must be cool under pressure, as they say. He must have Tim Tebow’s knack for winning the support of teammates.

In short, he must have made Darron Thomas nervous.

If he didn’t, then Duck fans should be nervous.

There are a few reasons Thomas would skip his senior season and go pro. A couple are obvious: He is close to a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL and he wants to pursue that dream. Good for him. He also has a chance to get paid handsomely for doing a job he’s done more successfully than any of his predecessors over the last two years. It’s been a heck of a run for him in Eugene, but count me among those skeptical of his prospects of becoming a quality NFL quarterback. I could be wrong, and I hope I am. I hope he has more success in the NFL than Dennis Dixon, Joey Harrington and Akili Smith.

But if you watched Duck games this season, you saw Thomas miss a lot of throws. His balls were high a lot. He was behind receivers. As a ball carrier, he wasn’t nearly as scary in 2011 as he was in 2010. Maybe that knee injury he suffered had him scared of suffering another one during a college game next year, so he decided he didn’t want to risk it.

Those are all possibilities.

But so are these two: A QB who has led his team to back-to-back BCS bowls doesn’t believe he should have to compete for a starting job as a senior. Or, maybe Thomas knows something the public – and Kenjon Barner ­­– doesn’t about Oregon’s recruiting tactics.

If Thomas had elected to stick around campus another season, he would have battled it out with Bennett all spring and summer. Chip Kelly likes competition between players – it makes them better.

Thomas showed earlier in the season he’s got the confidence, bordering on cockiness, that good players must have. When asked about a potential quarterback controversy after Bennett replaced him at halftime of the Washington State game, Thomas dismissed any potential controversy. “I’m the starter,” he told reporters.

And he was right. Then.

He may not have been right going into the 2012 season. With more time in Kelly’s system, Bennett may have eclipsed Thomas as the No. 1 guy. We’ve seen glimpses of Bennett’s superior athleticism. During the three games he saw action, it was clear he was a more dangerous threat to run the ball than Thomas.

Bennett hasn’t shown himself to be a particularly accurate passer yet. His completion percentage was eight points lower than Thomas’. However, he didn’t throw any interceptions in his 46 attempts. (Coincidentally, Thomas averaged one INT about every 48 pass attempts).

Whether Bennett would have beaten Thomas for the starting spot in 2012, we will never know.

However, sooner or later, we will know what – if any – sanctions the University of Oregon will face in the wake of the Lache Seastrunk-Willie Lyles saga.

It’d be naïve to think there was nothing fishy about the $25,000 paid to Lyles for his “recruiting package.” In addition, there’s the 11^th-hour change of heart from De’Anthony Thomas to renege on his commitment to USC and drive up I-5 to Eugene.

DAT’s situation is more of an unknown than Seastrunk’s, but neither seems assuring the Ducks are in the clear when it comes to NCAA regulations.

It’s possible, perhaps probable, the Ducks will face some sort of sanctions in the near future. Did Darron Thomas want to avoid that headache? Perhaps that’s why he bailed early.

Either way, Duck fans have something to look forward to. Bennett ought to pick up where Thomas left off. Whether the program avoids other hiccups remains to be seen.