Redshirt freshman

has been named the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks.

The Oregonian broke the news via a team source this morning, and the selection was officially confirmed by the team's Twitter feed at 10:10 a.m.

Mariota beat out third-year sophomore Bryan Bennett during a nearly eight-month competition that began in January after Oregon's all-time touchdown passes leader, Darron Thomas, decided to forgo his senior year to enter the NFL Draft.

Mariota will become the first freshman quarterback to start the season for the Ducks in 21 years. UO hosts Arkansas State Sept. 1.

LaMichael James, the former Oregon Ducks running back who is now with the San Francisco 49ers, endorsed Mariota's selection this morning.

"He will possibly be the best QB to ever play at Oregon!" James wrote on Twitter. "He's the real deal."

The competition went down to the wire with Thursday's scrimmage being the final test for both quarterbacks.

Mariota's rise from redshirt to starter could be viewed as an upset. The 2011 three-star recruit (

) out of Honolulu, Hawaii redshirted last season while Bennett backed up Thomas.

Bennett saw action in blowouts and filled in for an injured Thomas against Arizona State and Washington State, and started at Colorado. Bennett appeared in nine games, rushing for 200 yards (8.7 per carry) and throwing for 369 with six touchdowns and no interceptions. His performances titillated fans about the future. But now that future, at least for now, belongs to Mariota.

As a senior at St. Louis High School, Mariota threw for 2,597 yards 32 touchdowns with five interceptions. Because of closed practices, few outside of the team saw Mariota in action at Oregon until the spring game.

There, Mariota lit up the day by displaying great speed as a runner and quick decision making in the passing game. Many felt after the spring game that Mariota had edged ahead of Bennett but coaches urged that it had only been one day and that the competition was in a dead heat.

Mariota's first true college game experience will come Sept. 1. So even though he's been named the starter, he now must play well enough to keep the job knowing that a more than capable backup with game experience waits in the wings.

Oregon truly has a luxury in having two seemingly perfect fits for the spread-option attack that the Ducks clearly believe they can win big with.

--Aaron Fentress

Follow @AaronJFentress