Every day until fall camp begins for Ohio State, we will profile a different Buckeye football player. Today that player is freshman wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. Yesterday it was defensive tackle Taron Vincent. You can find all of the daily Scoop Profiles right here.
Marvin Harrison, Jr.
No. 18 | Wide Receiver | 6-4 202 | Freshman | St. Joseph’s Prep | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
How’d He Get Here
Ohio State offered Marvin Harrison, Jr. on January 16, 2019. One week later he received an offer from Michigan. He eventually landed offers from LSU and Notre Dame as well, among others. He committed to the Buckeyes on Halloween of 2019. Harrison was ranked the No. 14 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class and the No. 96 player overall. He was high school teammates with 2021 OSU quarterback signee Kyle McCord. Harrison is the son of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Together, the two have combined for 128 touchdown receptions in the NFL.
Current Situation
Marvin Harrison enrolled early, just like Ohio State’s other two receiver signees Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Ballard. Soon after Harrison enrolled in the winter, good word starting to leak out from OSU sources. He was also one of the first two freshmen to lose their black stripes in the spring. In further glimpses that the media saw either in person or via social media, Harrison was an effective red zone weapon. That was then confirmed further in the spring game. Currently, Harrison looks like the No. 2 X receiver on the team behind junior Garrett Wilson. While that might not sound like the best path to playing time, the best receivers will play regardless of position. If Harrison continues his development, there’s little doubt he’ll be in OSU’s desired six-man receiver rotation.
What to Like
There is a lot to like with Marvin Harrison. Learning the game from watching a Hall of Famer is a good way to understand the importance of technique and constant work. That was evident to the Ohio State coaches and staff before he arrived, but he certainly didn’t disappoint with his approach in the winter and spring. Then you get to the fact that he’s 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, and now you’ve got yourself a significant sideline and red zone target. As he showed in the spring game, he attacks the football. He gets open and he is ready for the ball once his head turns back toward the quarterback. Harrison also has the ability to get deep if defenders aren’t paying attention — and sometimes even if they are.
What’s the Ceiling This Year?
Every part of Marvin Harrison’s game is going to improve from now to January because he will put in the work, but he’s still just a freshman in a room with established receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Julian Fleming. Playing time is going to happen, but big numbers for freshmen just doesn’t. Wilson caught 30 passes as a true freshman in 2019, which was the most for a Buckeye true freshman since David Boston’s 33 catches in 1996. Olave had 12 catches in 14 games as a true freshman. Smith-Njigba had 10 last year and Fleming had seven. The ceiling for Harrison this year is probably around 20-25 just based on history and opportunity, but he should absolutely be part of the regular rotation at receiver for the Buckeyes.
And Beyond?
Ohio State will likely be losing Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL after this year, so there is going to be a large number of targets up for grabs. Literally. Marvin Harrison sure looks like an easy guy to project down the road as an All-Big Ten receiver. If he reaches his ceiling, however, you’re talking about 120-odd receptions combined as a sophomore and junior before leaving as an early-round draft pick. There’s still a long way between now and then, but Harrison already has the background to make it happen and now he’s getting the foreground.