Oregon head coach Willie Taggart told the tale at the start of fall camp. It’s about Justin Herbert, the Ducks shy sophomore starting quarterback.
Herbert, according to Taggart, was walking around Oregon’s facilities shirtless and brimming with confidence. A 180-degree turn from the Herbert of last season.
Even senior running back Royce Freeman told a tale of a this new, confident — and shirtless — Herbert.
“He’s walking around the facilities every day with his shirt off, eating meals with his shirt off,” he said, with a hint of humor in his tone. “I mean, we’re trying to beg him to just please put a shirt on. But, you know, you do what you want when you’re poppin.”
Herbert, revealing his true, humble self, downplayed the shirtless aspect of his turnaround.
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert (10) laughs as Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt runs by. The Oregon Ducks host an open practice during their spring season at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex practice fields in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, April 8, 2017. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)
“I think maybe that story was over-exaggerated a little bit,” Herbert said.
Regardless of the legitimacy of the stories, the point was that Herbert needs to be, and is becoming, a leader and a better quarterback. Success and experience help build confidence, and Herbert gained both in 2016. That could explain why he’s got a different swagger entering the 2017 season.
Herbert entered the 2016 season as freshman. He didn’t see much action in Oregon’s first five games as he served as backup to starter Dakota Prukop. His first start came in week six against the Washington Huskies, a team that would go on to play in the College Football Playoff and boast the Pac-12’s best defense. A significantly more difficult challenge to make a season debut than the upcoming FCS opponent Southern Utah.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking, but to get an opportunity like that, it was pretty special,” Herbert said.
The game didn’t start well for Herbert. He threw an interception on the first pass of his career. It was behind Charles Nelson and into a Washington defender as the Huskies started their dominant day.
Taggart, who went back to assess last year’s film, wasn’t focused on what went wrong during that play. He wanted to know what happened next.
“It’s how he responds,” Taggart said. “I think that’s really important, watching the quarterback and how they respond to bad plays. … I think Justin did a pretty good job of that.”
Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) takes off on a run during the scrimmage portion of practice. The Oregon Ducks hold practice during their spring season at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex practice fields in Eugene, Ore. on Friday April 21, 2017. (Aaron Nelson/Emerald)
A claim supported by the box score. His numbers were solid. He only committed one turnover while going 21-of-34 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks scored 21 points in the game, higher than the Huskies average of allowing 17.7 points per game.
Entering 2017, Herbert has a year experience under his belt. He knows how to prepare for a game, and he’s spent all offseason knowing he is the starter. It also helps that the first opponent isn’t a top-5 team.
“It’s quite a bit different,” Herbert said. “I think after a year of experience I just know how to prepare a bit better. Last year, first year of college football, you never really know how to prepare.”
Hard to dispute that this knowledge helps Herbert be more confident. He’s spent time working with receivers during the offseason building team chemistry.
“Just being out there with the guys and having a year with them, and being more comfortable with them, has helped a bunch,” Herbert said.
Now Herbert is more confident and ready for the season. The Ducks hope he’ll start his second season with a pass completed to another Duck instead of the other team.
Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @Butler917
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