Oregon football: Marcus Mariota is back

Thoughts on Marcus Mariota returning to Oregon? Did he make the right decision to not declare early?

By Avinash Kunnath@avinashkunnath Dec 12, 2013, 7:00am PST

Jack Follman, Pacific Takes: After Matt Leinart, Jake Locker and Matt Barkley I just don't think quarterbacks should come back to school if they are truly projected to be taken high in the draft, it just never seems to work out. With that said, I have some reservations to just how great of an NFL quarterback Mariota would make right now and he could really use a bit of polishing, but I don't know if he can really do that in Oregon's system. If Mariota truly could have been the second guy taken, I would say this is the wrong decision for him personally.

Phil Fraser, Ralphie Report: Yes. Personally I don't love Mariota as a pro QB, but then I didn't even like Russell Wilson as a pro QB, so maybe no? I don't know. You do you, man.

Adam Butler, Pac Hoops: Good for him. I don't know the full rationale but the NFL doesn't seem like a place to go unless you're really prepared for it. Or feel really prepared for it. Those guys hit hard.

Connor Pelton, Building the Dam: I'm never going to question a kid wanting to return to school, but turning down what would have been a surefire top ten selection made me scratch my head. This turns Oregon from an eight or nine win team to an instant contender to win the Pac-12 title. Just what they needed.