Marcus Harper II making most of his opportunity, emerging as standout pass-blocker for Oregon

When Marcus Harper II stepped onto the Mercedes Benz Stadium turf on Sept. 3, it marked the first time in nearly three years he had played a meaningful snap of football.

When a reporter reminds him of this fact, he pauses briefly and smiles. He doesn’t need anybody to tell him how long it’s been.

“It was 1,014 days since the last time I really contributed to the game,” Harper said.

Less than a month after getting his first true opportunity in an Oregon uniform, Harper II is doing far more than just contributing. He’s performing like one of the best players in college football at his position. Through three games at left guard, his Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 90.4 is tied for the best in the nation among interior offensive linemen.

So, how did Harper go from being an afterthought last season to a difference-maker for the Ducks in 2022?

“Man, just work,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “That guy brings a great level of focus and energy every single day to practice. He always has a smile on his face. He’s always excited to compete. He’s never complained once about his situation — about where he’s at on the depth chart, about what he has to battle or go through. I’ve never heard him say one thing.

“All I’ve ever seen him do is go out there and work.”

During the Ducks’ Week 2 win over Eastern Washington, Harper got his first career start in place of injured senior Ryan Walk and played 80 snaps — the most of any Oregon player. In the Week 3 win over BYU, he started again and played 61 of Oregon’s 68 offensive snaps.

The Ducks boast one of the top starting offensive lines in the country, but the depth of the unit has already been depleted early in the year. Walk, starting right guard Steven Jones, and key reserve Jackson Powers-Johnson have all been dinged up and missed games.

As the program deals with a spate of injuries along the offensive front, Harper II has turned an area that could have been a concern into a major strength.

“I texted him after the (Georgia) game. … And just told him I’m really, really proud of how far he’s come,” Oregon center Alex Forsyth said. “He’s still got a long way to go, but it’s been really encouraging to see what he’s doing for us.”

Although he has only played at left guard on Saturdays this season, his ability to fill multiple roles is part of what makes him so valuable. Oregon offensive line coach Adrian Klemm prioritizes positional versatility, as did former position coach Alex Mirabal when he was in Eugene. The time spent cross-training under both coaches has shone through in Harper’s play.

It has helped him excel, in part, because he understands the intricacies of what each lineman is trying to accomplish on each play.

“I’ve been bouncing back and forth from left guard, right tackle over the years, not even just this week,” Harper said after the BYU game. “This is what I’m known for; positional flexibility. It’s just another week for me. You’ve got to prepare as if you’re a starter.”

A former 3-star recruit in the class of 2020, Harper played 16 snaps for the Ducks last season in blowout scenarios that weren’t necessarily a true indicator of where he was at in his progression.

When all five of Oregon’s starting linemen announced last offseason that they would return for one last ride together in Eugene, it was apparent that playing time would be hard to come by for those further down the depth chart.

That didn’t faze Harper.

“In the time where I wasn’t getting in, I really just wanted to get my spirit right,” Harper said. “Just because I really do love the game of football. I didn’t wanna be one of those guys who just sat behind, not improving myself. … I didn’t want to waste that time. I wanted to figure out how I could make my game better day-by-day.”

Oregon saw a cluster of young offensive linemen leave the program last winter when Jaylan Jeffers, Jonathan Denis, and Jonah Miller all hit the transfer portal. Juxtapose that attrition with the fact that four of the Ducks’ five starters are seniors, and the future depth along the O-line was starting to look a bit shaky.

In that sense, Harper’s emergence as an impact player is not only paying dividends in 2022, but could also be a major development for the program moving forward.

“When given an opportunity, he’s taken advantage of it,” Lanning said. “But he’ll be the first to tell you he still has a lot he can improve on.”