EUGENE — Over 500 days since committing to end his college career at Oregon, Anthony Brown Jr. is officially the Ducks’ starting quarterback.

The long-expected decision was announced Friday, eight days before No. 11 Oregon opens the season against Fresno State on Sept. 4 (11 a.m., Pac-12 Network).

“The way he handles and has control and command of the offense, his presence amongst the players at the line of scrimmage, his ability to improvise, sometimes negotiate throws in tough situations, his ability to run the ball as well,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said of the ways Brown separated himself from the team’s trio of freshmen quarterbacks. “He’s been really accurate and his explosive play ratio has been really high.

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As Oregon’s only quarterback with any college game experience, Brown worked exclusively with the first-team offense throughout the offseason. He went 17 of 26 for 208 yards and a touchdown during Oregon’s spring game and was 8 of 14 for over 70 yards passing and had six carries for approximately 20 yards during the first fall scrimmage earlier this month.

As one of UO’s super seniors, Brown took on a mentor role to the team’s three freshmen quarterbacks, Jay Butterfield, Ty Thompson and Robby Ashford, and has worked extensively with the team’s wide receivers throughout the offseason.

“He’s become more of a leader,” receiver Mycah Pittman said. “That man is a gunslinger. When I tell you that guy has one of the strongest arms — it reminds me of Justin (Herbert) a lot.”

While spending the 2020 season as the backup to Tyler Shough, Brown went 15 of 23 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, and he had seven carries for 40 yards with two touchdowns and a fumble over the final two games.

“It was needed for what’s about to come,” Brown said of spending last season as the backup. “I wouldn’t have changed it for anything right now.”

A three-year starter at Boston College, Brown completed 55% of his passes for 4,738 yards with 40 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, rushed for 423 yards and four touchdowns and caught three touchdowns over his 28-game career with the Eagles. Brown tore each of his anterior cruciate ligaments in 2017 and 2019, with his last start coming against Louisville on Oct. 5, 2019, before entering the transfer portal and committed to Oregon on April 1, 2020 . Exactly 700 days will elapse between Brown’s last start at Boston College and his first start at Oregon.

“He’s a super smart kid,” offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead said. “He’s got a great presence about him.”

From initially joining Oregon amid the early months of the pandemic last year, Brown incrementally earned the respect of his teammates and command of the locker room.

“A lot of credit to him. He’s been through a lot,” Cristobal said. “He’s done a really good job and we expect him to keep growing as a leader.”

Ashford, Butterfield and Thompson will continue to compete for the backup job to Brown.

Ducks DBs return

Oregon Ducks defensive backs Jamal Hill and D.J. James have been reinstated to the team for practice but will not play in the season opener against Fresno State after missing three weeks of preseason practice following their alleged involvement in shooting an airsoft gun in downtown Eugene earlier this month.

Hill and James, both third-year sophomores, were back with the team for its Friday practice at Autzen Stadium.

“They’re practicing with us and they will not be available for the Fresno State game,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said.

With James and Hill both officially out for the first game, Oregon will turn to fifth-year junior Bennett Williams to start at nickel and either third-year freshman Trikweze Bridges or second-year freshman Dontae Manning to start at boundary corner.

Hill and James were both charged in municipal court on Tuesday with two counts of reckless endangering, two counts of disorderly conduct and unlawful discharge of a firearm for their alleged shooting of an airsoft gun on Aug. 3 in downtown Eugene.

They are both scheduled for trial on Sept. 7.