Ohio State star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after a prolific career with the Buckeyes, the last two years of which he led the team in receiving. Harrison is considered the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings after becoming the first player in Ohio State history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Harrison played sparingly as a freshman in 2021 after ranking as a four-star prospect, but his breakout performance in a Rose Bowl win over Utah that season foreshadowed big things to come. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison led the Buckeyes in receiving each of the past two seasons and won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award given to college football's top receiver.
"To Buckeye Nation, the love I received from you all in the Shoe and on the road will be moments I cherish forever, and I hope I left lasting memories for you on the field," Harrison wrote. "I appreiate the support these past three years. Buckeye for life."
In a long line of elite receivers to come from Ohio State under coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, Harrison stacked up with the best, earning Heisman Trophy finalist honors this season while tying the school record for most 100-yard receiving games in a career with 14. He ends his college career with 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns.
🫶🏾Buckeye 4L pic.twitter.com/10UPJDtntJ
— Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) January 11, 2024
Harrison's draft stock
As the top-ranked prospect in the draft class, according to CBS Sports, Harrison's decision is no surprise. Whether or not Harrison actually ends up going No. 1 overall is another matter. Harrison is considered a consensus top-five pick by our CBS Sports draft experts. Ryan Wilson has him going No. 2 after a trade to the Chicago Bears. Josh Edwards has Harrison going No. 3 to the New England Patriots, while Chris Trapasso slots Harrison at No. 4, teaming up with Kyler Murray on the Arizona Cardinals.
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Harrison has both excellent size and great speed to go with a proven set of hands and an elite pedigree. His father made eight Pro Bowls and caught 128 touchdown passes during a 13-year career spent entirely with the Indianapolis Colts. Given his physical tools and dominance at the college level, the younger Harrison is expected to become an elite pro in his own right.
Impact on Ohio State
With Harrison's announcement, Ohio State will be without two of its top three wide receivers for next season after Julian Fleming entered the transfer portal following the regular season. But the Buckeyes knew this was likely coming and have continued to recruit exceedingly well at the position. Ohio State signed three of the top 10 receivers in the 2023 recruiting class and two of the top 10 receivers in the 2024 class. Thus, the Buckeyes should still boast a supremely talented receiving corps next season
Additionally, since Emeka Egbuka is returning for his fourth season, meaning the Buckeyes will have a proven star at the position entering 2024. Egbuka has made 118 career grabs for 1,794 yards and 14 touchdowns and is fully capable of serving as a No. 1 target.
