Updated

Redshirt freshman quarterback Morgan Mahalak asked for and has been granted his release from the program.

Mahalak, a former four-star recruit from Marin Catholic high school in California, has not taken a snap for the Ducks during his career.

Mahalak was thought at one point to be the next great Oregon quarterback. However, he was buried on the depth chart during the 2015 season. When Vernon Adams Jr. went down with an injury early in the season, it was redshirt junior Jeff Lockie and walk-on Taylor Alie who played instead of Mahalak.

When asked earlier in the season why Mahalak wasn't being given the opportunity to play, head coach Mark Helfrich bluntly stated that the redshirt freshman wasn't as good as the players ahead of him on the depth chart.

"There's nothing behind the scenes that's fishy," Helfrich said, via The Oregonian. "He's just not operationally as good as the other guys. It's simple as that at this point."

While Mahalak has been granted his release, it may not be the end of his career at Oregon. According to The Oregonian, Mahalak's father Geoff said that his son asked for a release to check out all of his options, one of which could be returning to Oregon.