During an October visit to Eugene, I interviewed Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert with an eye on fleshing out what he told me in a feature story that would get published during the run-up to the next NFL draft. At the time, the 6'6", 233-pound Herbert was the college QB most coveted at the NFL level, but there were already whispers that Herbert might return for his senior season.
My main takeaway was that Herbert was more surprised than anyone that he was being considered by many to be the top quarterback in the 2019 draft. A biology major who sat out most of the Quarterback Industrial Complex camp circuit while at Eugene’s Sheldon High, Herbert still seemed to be getting used to the idea that he was one of the best quarterbacks in college football.