Usually, it's FBS players who transfer to an FCS school. This time, though, it could be the other way around -- and to a school that played for the national title.
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams, one of the best FCS players in the nation, has received a release to transfer and is visiting Oregon this weekend, according to Duckterritory.com, an Oregon-centric website. The Ducks, of course, need a new quarterback with Heisman winner Marcus Mariota leaving early for the NFL.
Adams (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) threw for 3,483 yards and 35 TDs and also rushed for 285 yards and six TDs this season despite missing four games with an injury. He has thrown for 10,438 yards and 110 TDs in his three-season career. He threw for 475 yards and seven TDs in a 59-52 loss to Washington this season and for 411 yards and four TDs in a 49-46 win over Oregon State on 2013.
NFL Media analyst Charles Davis called Adams "a master playmaker and a big-time leader," and fellow analyst Bucky Brooks said that though "Adams lacks the ideal physical dimensions to pique the interest of NFL scouts, his production and effectiveness running (Eastern Washington's) high-powered offense will keep his name in the mix over the next few years."
The "next few years" could mean a final season at Oregon, which has no clear-cut replacement for Mariota on the roster. Mariota's backup this season was sophomore Jeff Lockie, who is limited athletically and doesn't seem to have much upside. That's not the case with Adams, who is small but could be electrifying in the Ducks' offense.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
