EUGENE, Ore. – Marcus Mariota is planning to take on more than just a few extra pounds this season.
Oregon's softspoken quarterback, who bulked up with 12 pounds of muscle this summer, says he's ready to break out and become a more vocal leader of the Ducks in his sophomore year.
He's already got an impressive skillset. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Mariota set the team's single-season record with 38 touchdowns (32 passing, 5 rushing, 1 receiving), surpassing the previous mark of 36 held by Darron Thomas (2011) and Akili Smith (1998).
The first freshman named to the Pac-12's all-conference first team in 23 years, Mariota passed for 2,677 yards while completing a school-record 68.5 percent of his passes. He had 3,429 yards of total offense, second only to Smith in school history.
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