'There's Always Room For Improvement': Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Strives For Better Results In 2023
Toe-tapping grabs, highlight catches and can't-miss receptions were just a few phrases to describe Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.'s sophomore season. Flawless might be another, though he would probably disagree since the year didn't end with a national championship.
Make no mistake, Harrison was arguably the top receiver in the nation last fall after hauling in 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Some would suggest he was the Buckeyes' best player, even more so than Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud.
Still, Harrison isn't focused on what happened last year. It's in the past and fans won't care about the accolades once the new year begins on Sept. 2. against Indiana.
The one thing on Harrison's mind is an improvement — both individual and cohesive.
“You gotta go out there and prove it,” Harrison said. “Obviously, last year was last year, and to have that honor going into next year, it's one thing, but you gotta live up to it during the season. So that’s moreso what I was focused about.”
There's little to Harrison's game that needs adjusting. Scouts at the NFL Combine earlier this month were enthralled by the route-running skills of former teammate and potential first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but the conversations always seemed to steer back to Harrison.
Harrison would have almost certainly been the first receiver selected in April's draft had he been eligible. He likely would have been a top-10 pick, though some might argue top-five with teams such as the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals needing bonafide No. 1 weapons.
Fans might believe that Harrison's name belongs in the dictionary next to the word "perfection." The rising junior would disagree.
“There's always room to get better everywhere. Whether that’s getting in and out of your breaks faster, ball skills,” Harrison said. “But I think one thing in particular that I've kind of focused on was just making plays after the catch."
Spring football will provide ample opportunities for Harrison to build off his historic sophomore campaign. And he won't just be working on crafting better routes to win after the catch. So far through two practices, Harrison has worked on returning punts in place of the injured Emeka Egbuka.
Naturally, should Egbuka be healthy, he'll likely command the role of return man after totaling 75 yards in 2022, but offensive coordinator Brian Hartline views the reps as an opportunity for Harrison to become a more well-rounded playmaker.
“We want to build a good depth of guys because it’s amazing how quickly you can get a guy tweaked and he’s not back there," Hartline said Thursday. "You have to make sure you have a good depth of guys.”
In terms of personal goals, there's little reason for Harrison to play next season. In the common era of college football, a player has never opted out before the start of the regular season to prepare for the NFL draft. Then again, during the COVID-19 2020 season, countless prospects elected to rest their bodies by sitting out.
One of those players? Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Fans worried that his stock would plummet after missing an entire season, but instead landed inside the top five after LSU's Pro Day.
Harrison could have followed a similar path, but Chase accomplished nearly every feat in his final season down in Baton Rouge. The Tigers defeated Clemson in the national championship behind the arm of Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, while Chase took home the Biletnikoff Award for top receiver.
As for Harrison, a chance to hoist the hardware come season's end in Houston drives him to be better. That's one goal. Another: Win the Biletnikoff, an award he thought he should have received over Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt last season.
And for the grand finale? Beat Michigan and win a Big Ten Championship, something that has not occurred since Harrison stepped on campus.
“We didn't accomplish any goals we did as a team last year. So obviously whatever I did last year wasn't enough," Harrison said. "So I think I'm not getting too big a head or anything like that.”
One season won't be enough to put Harrison on the Mount Rushmore of pass-catchers in Buckeyes' history. Not when names such as Cris Carter, Joey Galloway, Michael Thomas, Terry Glenn, Ted Ginn Jr., Santonio Holmes, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and even Smith-Njigba exist.
Hartline isn't buying that Harrison's breakout season is a one-and-done, especially when the receiver continues to put in the hours on the field and lead by example off it.
"He's nowhere near where he wants to be, so in his mind, he doesn't know what everybody's celebrating,” Hartline said. “You guys are celebrating, but he's not. He's still on that same chase.”
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