I don't believe there's an Andrew Luck-caliber quarterback currently playing college football, and we won't see a talent like the Indianapolis Colts quarterback for a long time. That being said, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is one of the more intriguing quarterbacks we've seen in a number of years.
Mariota has a dual-threat skill set similar to Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M who now plays for the Cleveland Browns. The 2014 NFL Draft first-round pick very nearly went to Oregon, and then-Oregon coach and current Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly said losing out on Manziel, "broke my heart." Instead, Kelly was able to get a commitment from Mariota in the same recruiting class.
Sometimes it's tough to find comparisons for players who run the wide-open Oregon offense, but I reached out to five NFL personnel executives to see which current NFL quarterback does Mariota remind them of as a player.
Executive 1: Colin Kaepernick
"The easy answer is Kaepernick. Both have rare speed and were unpolished passers. Both were great kids coming out of college."
Executive 2: Robert Griffin III
"This is a tough one. At the same point in their careers, I'd say RGIII. They have similar arm strengths, and an ability to run, escape and extend plays."
Executive 3: Colin Kaepernick
"He reminds me of Kaepernick, but Colin is bigger and strong than Mariota. I think Mariota might be a little bit faster."
Executive 4: Colin Kaepernick
"He reminds me of Kaepernick, but with better instincts and a little less arm."
Executive 5: Sam Bradford
"He's a more athletic version of Sam Bradford."
Verdict: I've heard the comparison to the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback multiple times. The Robert Griffin III comparison is also interesting.
Conclusion: The more I think of it, the comparison that caught my eye was Bradford. There are a lot of similarities. Personally, I thought Bradford was more a accurate passer in college than Mariota.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
