Former Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Exceeding Expectations With Cardinals

Former Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is living up to his star-studded potential during his first offseason in the NFL.

Marvin Harrison Jr. claps for the student athletes during the Cardinals girls flag football clinic at the Cardinals training facility on June 1, 2024 in Tempe, Ariz. / Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY

Former Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is already making a major impression on his new Arizona Cardinals teammates as coaches as he gets set for his rookie season in the NFL.

Given how his career in Columbus went, this likely doesn't come as much of a surprise to Buckeyes fans.

May 10, 2024; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during rookie minicamp at the teams Tempe Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon met with the media this week and offered up more praise for Harrison Jr., saying that the rookie wideout has surpassed early expectations.

“My expectation for him, he meets and exceeds it thus far,” Gannon said.

Of course, Gannon has also had some high-praise criticism for Harrison Jr., stating previously that the former Buckeyes star has been doing "too much" extra work at practice and that he wants him to find a healthy practice routine. If your head coach is telling you to lighten up the practice reps, you're probably doing something right whether he likes it or not.

“He does a lot extra, probably too much, I’m going to be fighting him about that,” Gannon said. "
... If we’re spaced out how many reps and the amount of workload he gets, and then he goes and runs 100 routes on the weekend, he might be dragging today. Now, he doesn’t drag, but I’m just talking about, I love extra work, but you’ve got to be smart about it. You’ve got to have a routine about what you’re doing."

Last month, Harrison Jr. signed a four-year rookie deal worth $35.37 million in fully-guaranteed money and a $22.5 million signing bonus. There's also a team option in 2028.

During the regular season this past year at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. posted 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard receiving games this season, including three games of at least 160 yards. However, he sat out the final game of the season, a Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.

The Cardinals will begin their regular season on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Sept. 8.