EUGENE —

As a walk-on and the No. 4 quarterback on Oregon’s depth chart, Mike Irwin knows it will be a while before he sees any playing time for the Ducks.

But for now, the former Crook County and Mountain View High School quarterback is content to learn from one the best quarterbacks in college football, Ducks’ starter Justin Herbert.

“It’s a privilege,” said Irwin, a redshirt freshman. “That dude is on another level. When I first got here, dumb freshman, I thought I could make every throw. I didn’t realize I had to throw it about two paces sooner than (Herbert) has to. He’s got such a rocket of an arm, he can put it wherever he wants. It’s awesome being able to see that and learn how to change my game to compete or just even come close to what he’s able to accomplish. It’s been really good to learn from him.”

As sophomore Braxton Burmeister and highly touted true freshman Tyler Shough will likely compete for the backup spot, Irwin is content for now in the No. 4 position as he looks to eventually earn a scholarship. Burmeister started five games last season in place of an injured Herbert and struggled, throwing just two touchdowns and six interceptions.

Irwin played for Crook County his freshman year, then his family moved from Powell Butte to Bend and he played for Mountain View his sophomore season, when he was the Intermountain Conference offensive player of the year. Just four games into his junior season at Mountain View in 2015 he suffered a broken right fibula against Summit.

Irwin’s father took a job in the Portland area and he transferred to Class 6A Lakeridge for his senior year, passing for 1,249 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Pacers.

“I definitely missed all my Bend buddies, missed Mountain View for sure, but it was a really good experience playing in the Three Rivers League and preparing for college,” Irwin said earlier this month during the Ducks’ media day at Autzen Stadium. “It was definitely a move for the better.”

Irwin said moving to the Portland area helped him get noticed more by college football programs.

“That’s one of the downfalls of athletes in Central Oregon,” he said. “It’s such an incredible talent pool, but the publicity or something, everyone really gets overlooked. You see kids in Central Oregon and they come compete with kids in Portland and they’re always holding their own. In Portland you’ll get noticed a lot more.”

Irwin, listed at 6-1 and 201 pounds, said he was set to attend Boise State as a walk-on when Marcus Arroyo, Oregon’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, contacted him during the summer after his senior season at Lakeridge. Irwin grew up as a Duck fan so it was an easy sell, he recalled.

“He knew I was a big Duck fan. It was a hard offer to turn down,” Irwin said. “Coach Arroyo is awesome … incredibly smart guy. I’ve learned more than I ever thought was possible. The building blocks are set and now it’s just refining stuff.”

Irwin spent his redshirt year last season on the scout team and adjusting to the speed of the college game. He said he came into this year’s preseason camp with much more confidence. He has grown close to the three other quarterbacks, learning from Burmeister and Shough, in addition to Herbert. Shough, from Chandler, Ariz., is listed at 6-5, 204 pounds, and chose Oregon over Alabama, Florida State and Michigan, among other top programs.

“We’re all highly competitive and testing each other,” Irwin said. “But we’re all really close. It’s a super, super fun quarterback room. In the future, as my skills continue to progress, to be that starting quarterback, that’s my main focus and main goal. But my first goal is to earn a scholarship. I’ve just got to keep proving that I deserve one.”

Burmeister, who rushed for three touchdowns last season, called Irwin “a great guy” and “one of my best friends on the team.”

“He’s definitely improving a lot,” Burmeister said of Irwin. “It’s good to have a guy like him on the team. He’s definitely very strong and a good athlete. He’s good at getting the ball out quick to where it needs to go. He’s a good player and if he works hard enough he’ll definitely be able to earn (a scholarship). He’s definitely a guy who deserves it.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0318,

mmorical@bendbulletin.com