QB Vernon Adams finally eligible to join Oregon roster
Six months after announcing his intent to transfer to Oregon, it appears that former Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams can finally join the Ducks.
Adams had one last math course to pass in order to complete his undergraduate degree from EWU, and according to multiple reports, Adams did just that by passing a final exam on Thursday evening.
Adams, who walked at EWU’s graduation ceremony, also announced the news with a simple message on his Instagram account: “Thank God. #EwuAlum #GODUCKS #TimeToGetToWork.”
As a graduate transfer, Adams, a star at the FCS level, is eligible immediately and joins a quarterback competition to succeed Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner.
Adams, the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award – the FCS version of the Heisman – the past two seasons, has already missed a few days of Oregon’s preseason practice, which began Monday. In his three seasons as starter at Eastern Washington, the 6-foot, 190-pound Adams threw for 10,438 yards and 110 touchdowns while running for 1,232 yards and 11 more scores.
Once he joins the Ducks, he will compete for the starting role with redshirt junior Jeff Lockie, who was Mariota’s primary backup for the past two years and has been taking first team reps since the spring.
Adams originally intended to finish school in the spring and join Oregon for summer workouts, but he did not pass the required math class on the first go-around. Despite that, according to the Oregonian, Adams, who hopes to join practice on Friday, has been living in Eugene since June and has had an Oregon playbook to study.
Still, Adams obviously has some catching up to do if he wants to lead the Ducks in their season opener on Sept. 5 at Autzen Stadium.
And who does Oregon play in Week 1, you ask? None other than Eastern Washington.
For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
