Ducks Digest

Oregon Football's Will Stein Prefers Left-Handed Quarterbacks?

Oregon football offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein has a history with left-handed QBs. Is this a preference? What does this mean for lefty Dillon Gabriel?

Kaleb Henry

Oregon’s quarterbacks pressure offensive coordinator Will Stein as he runs through a drill during practice with the Oregon Ducks Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon’s quarterbacks pressure offensive coordinator Will Stein as he runs through a drill during practice with the Oregon Ducks Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein is no stranger to left-handed QBs.

On a recent appearance with On3, Andy Staples jokingly called Stein a "left-handed quarterback whisperer".

"I guess I just know how to move the pocket to the left, maybe better than most," Stein joked. "Other than that, there's not a lot of difference (compared to righties), to be honest. As long as they're accurate and they get ball out on time, we can work with them."

Stein coached Frank Harris at UTSA, the 2022 Conference USA Most Valuable Player and a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist. Now, he has Heisman Trophy hopeful Dillon Gabriel in the green and yellow.

Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein leads a drill on the first practice of spring 2023.
Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein leads a drill on the first practice of spring for Oregon football as the Ducks prepare for the 2023 season. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA

"Everything's kinda left-hash-dependent for me, in terms of my play call sheet and how that's set, probably because I'm a right-handed guy," Stein said. "It's nothing that is too out of the ordinary for me. Obviously, being used to it was Frank has helped in this sense now with Dillon.

"I enjoy guys that are competitive, love the game... are football junkies. I've been fortunate to be around a lot of really good quarterbacks."

In his first year in Eugene, Stein orchestrated the Duck offense to 531.4 yards a game, good for second in the nation. Behind Heisman Trophy finalist, and right-handed QB, Bo Nix, Oregon threw for a nation-leading 346.9 yards a game.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team.

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