Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Not Practicing For Cotton Bowl As Buckeyes Prepare For Missouri
Marvin Harrison Jr. has likely played his last down with Ohio State.
The Buckeyes junior receiver was seen at practice on Tuesday but did not dress as a participant. Instead, he was seen riding the stationary bike on the sidelines while the remainder of the roster ran through drills in preparation for Friday's Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against No. 9 Missouri.
Harrison, the winner of this year's Biletnikoff Award and Heisman finalist, has yet to reveal his status for his future in Columbus, though it's highly expected that he will declare for April's NFL draft. The 6-4 receiver is considered the top non-quarterback prospect in the class and is expected to be a top-five lock.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates his touchdown during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium.
© Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Most NFL scouts believe Harrison is the best receiver prospect to come out of college since Calvin Johnson in 2007, with several analysts suggesting he's the top player regardless of position entering the new calendar year. Johnson, who became a fixture with the Detroit Lions, was drafted second overall.
Should Harrison opt out of the bowl games, the No. 7 Buckeyes (11-1) would likely turn to Emeka Egbuka as the new No. 1 weapon. This season, Egbuka totaled 35 catches for 452 yards and four TDs in nine games. Senior Xavier Johnson and freshman Carnell Tate also should see their rep count expand.
The Buckeyes will also be without Julian Fleming, who entered the portal following last month's regular-season finale loss to Michigan.
No Ohio State has officially announced yet if they will opt out of the bowl game and begin prep for the draft. Egbuka, who could elect to go pro, already announced that he would play and could return to Columbus to better his draft stock after a missed season due to injury.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson, tight end Cade Stover, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg all practiced on Tuesday. Stover and Eichenberg, two seniors, are expected to declare following the bowl game instead of using their COVID-19 year of eligibility.
Henderson, Hall and Tuimoloau are all underclassmen who could elect to return for the 2024 season in hopes of making a College Football Playoff run. Henderson, Tuimoloau and cornerback Denzel Burke are all expected to be Day 2 picks in April's draft.
Should Harrison opt out of the bowl game, he'll finish his final season with 67 catches or 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named a unanimous All-American for the second straight year.
Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. E.T. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
