It’s a great day to be a Duck.
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and center Hroniss Grasu have decided to return to school for the 2014 season rather than go pro, the school announced on Tuesday.
Mariota, a redshirt sophomore, and Grasu, a redshirt junior, announced their intentions a day after earning all-Pac-12 accolades from the conference’s head coaches for the second straight year.
“It is an honor to be a student at the University of Oregon and to have the opportunity to represent our institution on the football field alongside my teammates,” said Mariota. “I look forward to earning my degree next year and to the rest of my career at this great University.”
This season, Mariota threw for 3,412 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 582 and nine scores. He was the Heisman front runner for a good chunk of the season until his team lost games against Stanford and Arizona in November. He’ll be considered one of the front runner for the award next year as well.
Grasu is already a three-year starter and will once again anchor a solid Duck line in 2014.
“The University of Oregon is a special place and I’m extremely happy to be returning for my senior year,” Grasu said. “To be a student-athlete in this community is an honor and an experience I’ll continue to cherish with my teammates.”
With these two players returning next season, it all but assures that the Ducks will once again be in the national title conversation. If they had gone pro, head coach Mark Helfrich would’ve been faced with a major rebuilding effort in his second season. Now, the transition will be much easier.