Oregon Ducks' Marcus Harper Reveals Strong Football Team Chemistry Starts With Dan Lanning

The Oregon Ducks' promising 2024-25 football season came to an abrupt end in a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. Oregon starting right guard Marcus Harper II reveals how motivated the Ducks were to prove the doubters wrong in their first season in the Big Ten on The Big Mark Show.
Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Marcus Harper II lifts Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson into the air after a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Idaho Vandals Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Marcus Harper II lifts Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson into the air after a touchdown as the Oregon Ducks host the Idaho Vandals Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oregon Ducks' promising 2024-25 football season came to an abrupt end in a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. However, the Ducks finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 record and dominated Big Ten Conference play to become Big Ten Champions.

With a win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Title game, Oregon became 13-0 for the first time in program history. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his team fought adversity and exemplified strength with one of the toughest schedules in the nation - The Ducks were the only team with wins against three teams in the CFP (Ohio State, Penn State, Boise State.)

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Bu
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Got to give credit to Coach (Dan) Lanning for coming up with FEBU - basically saying F everybody but us. We really embodied that. We embodied that mantra. We embodied that lifestyle," Oregon Ducks right guard Marcus Harper II said in the final episode of the Big Mark Show above.

"Everyone kind of just doubled down and grew tighter and tighter," Harper II continued. "It's like the louder everyone else became on the outside, we just grew tighter."

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel sliced and diced defenses en route to become a Heisman Trophy finalist. Gabriel consistently thanked his Ducks' offensive line, which has become a major point of emphasis for Oregon over the last five seasons.

Oregon Ducks Football Hilarious Interview: Marcus Harper, Bryce Boettcher, Jeff Bassa, Devon Jackson
Oregon Ducks Football Hilarious Interview: Marcus Harper, Bryce Boettcher, Jeff Bassa, Devon Jackson / Seigher Meester

One of the longest-tenured Ducks, starting right guard Marcus Harper II, is a leader and force on the offensive line. Off the field, Harper is making his own way with his creativity and personality as host of The Big Mark Show on Oregon Ducks on SI. In his final episode, Harper II reflects on his senior season at Oregon, proving doubters wrong and give his unique perspective on a college career that included COVID and a coaching change from Mario Cristobal.

"We looked up and we were 13-0 in the Big Ten in our first year - where early on they said we couldn't hang," Harper said. "They said we're too soft. They said, we don't have the talent. We don't have the size in the trenches. And we proved them wrong. We proved ourselves right. And that was the biggest thing I took away from the season. We just kept proving ourselves right."

Harper II, who earned All-Big Ten Third Team, also gave a heartfelt thank you to Oregon fans, describes how Eugene has become his home and looks ahead to the NFL Draft.

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel Lands New NIL Deal: $1.9 Million NIL Valuation

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Below are some more episodes of the Big Mark Show.

The Oregon Ducks Football uniforms are iconic in college football. How are the flashy Nike uniforms, cleats, helmets and gloves selected? Oregon football equipment administrator Kenny Farr joins Oregon offensive lineman Marcus Harper II in an exclusive interview on The Big Mark Show.

Watch as Harper interviews Farr about his legendary office (which is considered the barbershop of the Oregon football facility), what it's like to travel on the team plane for Big Ten conference away games and how Oregon's uniforms combinations are selected.

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart has an unconventional path to football and TikTok fame. Oregon offensive lineman Marcus Harper III interviews teammate Stewart on The Big Mark Show. The transfer from Texas A&M Aggies reveals how he became TikTok famous and an Oregon Duck.

Watch as Harper interviews linebackers Bryce Boettcher, Jeffrey Bassa and Devon Jackson. The Ducks players discuss how good it felt to prove doubters wrong that felt Oregon would not be physical enough to contend in the Big Ten conference.

Watch as Harper interviews teammates Nishad Strother and Matthew Bedford about why they transferred to Oregon, injuries they've overcome and fun facts that fans would be surprised to know about.

In episode one, Harper II shows off his sense-of-humor as he interview the Oregon Duck and... himself. It's the Parent Trap with Harper II instead of Lindsey Lohan.

MORE: Oregon Ducks 5-Star Receiver Dakorien Moore Compared to Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith 

MORE: Ohio State To Win National Championship? Oregon Ducks Coach Dan Lanning Believes

MORE: Four-Star Linebacker Recruit McKay Madsen Commits To BYU Over Oregon Ducks, UCLA

MORE: L.A. Chargers' Justin Herbert Takes Blame In NFL Wild Card Loss To Houston Texans


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Bri Amaranthus
BRI AMARANTHUS

Bri Amaranthus is an Emmy-winning sports reporter with over 12 years of experience in television, radio, podcasting, and digital sports journalism. She has been with Sports Illustrated for four years, providing breaking news, exclusive interviews, and analysis on the NFL, college sports, and the NBA. Prior to joining SI, Bri hosted NBC Sports Northwest's prime-time television show, where she also served as the Oregon beat reporter and created content covering both the NBA and college sports. Throughout her career, Bri has achieved significant milestones, including covering major events like the NBA Finals, NFL playoffs, College Football Playoff, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NFL Draft, and the NFL Combine. She earned a D1 scholarship to play softball at the University of San Diego and won two state softball titles in high school in Oregon. In addition to her Emmy win for NBC's All-Star Coach special, she has received multiple Emmy nominations, highlighting her dedication and talent in sports journalism.