Marcus Harper II didn’t grow up a football fan, much less a fan of the Chicago Bears, even though he was born and raised in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Now he hopes the Bears call his name next weekend during the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I definitely remember me coming down the stairs, and my dad was watching football,” Harper told ChiCitySports. “I look at him, I look to my right, I’m like, ‘I don’t see how you like this game.’ So for me to even be in this position is kind of a surreal moment, because I just wasn’t a big football fan growing up.”
Harper played other sports like soccer and basketball until high school. His father wanted him to wait until high school to play football, fearing that starting to play the sport too early would be hard on his joints.
However, he found his calling when he “messed around” trying out football at Homewood-Flossmoore High School.
“And once the football got going for me, I was like, cool, let’s, let’s turn this thing,” Harper said.
Marcus Harper II turned football into a passion at Oregon
The thing turned into a solid college career at Oregon. The six-foot-three, 305-pound athlete was a three-year starter (34 games) for the Ducks at offensive guard. At 22, he earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024.
Harper has two favorite memories during his time with Oregon. Though the Ducks were blown out, 49-3 by Georgia on Sept. 3, 2022, Harper was able to play his first meaningful football since his high school days in Chicago. He was also thankful that Ohio State quarterback Will Howard slid at the end of their game in October that gave the Ducks a 32-31 win over the No. 2 team in the country.
“The Ohio State win that we had this past season that was really big for us,” Harper said. “And just everyone’s rushing field, that’s a Cinderella story script that you could never write up. It was two versus three in our house. Will Howard, you know, not making the smartest of football plays.”
Following the Ducks’ loss to Ohio State in January’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, Harper has been transitioning to prepare for life in the NFL. He had a workout with the Bears during their local pro day on April 8.
A “phenomenal” visit with the Chicago Bears
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Harper said he had a “phenomenal visit with the Bears during their pro day.
“I know I was the best o-lineman that was there,” Harper said. “And the feedback that I was receiving was real warm and very welcoming… But it felt good… finishing that workout. I knew what I came here to do was to show that I kind of have been running low on the radar, under the lights real quick, but just to show how dominant I am.”
Harper got to catch up with Bears scouting assistant Ryan Brosnan, who used to work as the assistant director of player personnel at Oregon, and linebacker Noah Sewell, whom the Bears took in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.
Sewell and Harper have kept in contact since the 2023 draft, but the pro day was the first time they had seen each other in person since the draft. Sewell gave Harper advice to stay grounded and trust the process.
A final plea to general manager Ryan Poles
Harper has strong feelings about Chicago pizza. He prefers deep-dish to tavern style, something that he can eat more of if his hometown team drafts him. He made a final plea to general manager Ryan Poles as to why Chicago should take him next week.
“You get Marcus Harper II, you get a leader, you get someone who’s confident, you get someone who’s going to dominate, you get a well-rounded individual,” Harper said. “Not only am I going to understand what it takes for me to play at a high level on the field, but I’m going to take those same habits, and bring them off the field as well, and get in the community and make sure that I show my face as much as possible.”
Harper has been following the Bears’ roster moves in free agency and the trades for offensive guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. He’s not worried about waiting to start in the league if he can pick the brain of a future Hall of Fame player like Thuney. He’s also willing to switch to center if need be, something he practiced during his days at Oregon.
Harper said he’s received interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers.
“I’m just excited for whoever just understands the value that I hold as a player, not even just as a player, as an individual,” Harper said. “What that means to a locker room, and know that I know what it takes to play winning football at a high level. So, like I said, y’all go to the number to come call me.”
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