The Top 5 Quarterbacks Oregon State Will Face In 2020

Who are the best gunslingers on Oregon State’s now conference-only slate?

By The_Coach Jul 18, 2020, 6:30pm PDT

1. Jayden Daniels (Arizona State)

Arizona State v California — If not for Kedon Slovis, Daniels would’ve been the 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Choo-choo. Get aboard the Jayden Daniels hype train now. Daniels jumped onto the scene as a freshman, tossing for 2,943 yards, tallying 20 total touchdowns through their air and on the ground and running for 355 yards, as a play-making escape artists in the backfield. Oh yeah and he only managed to throw two interceptions. Intangibles. Talent. Production. There doesn’t seem to be a box that Daniels simply doesn’t check at the moment. Bringing the Sun Devils into the Pac-12 race is the next step now.

2. Chase Garbers (California)

California v Stanford — Garbers will be helped by a strong backfield partner in running back Christopher Brown Jr.

In the ‘what have you done for me lately’ scenario, Chase Garbers’ four-touchdown performance against Illinois in California’s Redbox Bowl game victory stands out of just how good this versatile athlete can be when he’s playing his best. Garbers’ growth was tangible in 2019 as he learned to live in the pocket more, while tallying 1,772 yards and 14 scores through the air, compared to just 3 picks. He could lead the Golden Bears to double-digits wins in 2020.

3. Davis Mills (Stanford)

With KJ Costello now officially out of the picture and having moved on to what he thinks are greener pastures with Mike Leach at Mississippi State, Davis Mills take the reigns as the full time starter for the Cardinal. Mills had his up-and-downs in relief situations for Costello last season, but the rising senior did average 1.8 passing touchdowns in each game that he attempted over 25 passes. With a healthy offensive line in front of him, the Georgia product should flourish in his 2020 campaign.

4. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 30 Cal at UCLA — The DTR experiment enters it’s third go-round under Chip Kelly.

Will 2020 finally be the year that Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Chip Kelly get things right in Westwood? The affectionately known “DTR” was a much-hyped four-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School, but has struggled to find his natural play-maker role with the Bruins. He is a true dual-threat athlete, yet in the completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio world, he has to do better. Potential-wise, he’s still a top-five talent.

5. Jake Bentley (Utah)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 10 South Carolina at Florida — The front-runner for the job, Bentley may show more against the Pac-12’s pedestrian defenses.

South Carolina graduate transfer Jake Bentley will likely win the starting job for the Utes, after a storied career with the Gamecocks in which he played in 34 games and threw for over 7,500 yards and 55 touchdowns. However, Bentley will have some camp competition from former four-star prospect and Texas transfer Cameron Rising, a 6’ 2” talent with above-average athletic ability. If Bentley does reel in the full-time gig, expect him to be one of the more experienced and poised talents in the Pac-12.

Note: This list was compiled using Oregon State’s current schedule of conference opponents for the 2020 season, with all their non-conference games cancelled. It does not include players from all Pac-12 teams, since that alteration has yet to be formally decided or announced.