Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is already viewed as a rare talent for the Buckeyes, but that was confirmed earlier this week when he joined an elite group of players in Ohio State’s history, named the 37th unanimous All-American for the program.
And while Harrison is the 37th unanimous All-American, he is the first ever wide receiver at Ohio State to earn the honor despite the legendary wideouts that have come through the university.
“It’s such a blessing, really,” Harrison said Wednesday. “There’s so many great receivers to come through here and I’m sure probably some of them got snubbed because they probably should have been a unanimous All-American, too, so to be named that is definitely a blessing. I’m very thankful for that.”
Harrison – the first unanimous All-American for Ohio State since guard Wyatt Davis in 2020 – finished the regular season with 72 receptions for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns, marks which all led Ohio State and ranked 19th, eighth and fifth in the nation, respectively.
With at least one more game to play, he’s already sneaking up on several single-season receiving records for Ohio State, with his receptions, yards and touchdowns ranking sixth, fourth and tied for fifth in program history.
“It means a lot. It’s probably one of my greatest accomplishments in my life so far,” Harrison said. “Definitely proud of myself for that, all the work that has gone into that and to feel rewarded like that. It’s definitely a blessing and I just thank God for everything.”
While Harrison has received no shortage of postseason recognition, one honor he did not receive was the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top receiver in college football.
Harrison – as well as Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson – finished behind Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, who had 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a five-touchdown outing in the Volunteers’ win over Alabama earlier this season.
“I did feel as though I deserved to win. Congrats to Jalin, he had an unbelievable year, really. But I think I deserved to win,” Harrison said. “I just can’t dwell on it, I’ve got to move on. I got bigger and more important things to worry about right now.”
The last Ohio State wide receiver to win the honor was Terry Glenn in 1995, but with Harrison coming back for what is almost certainly his final season at Ohio State next year, the soon-to-be junior wideout will have another shot to bring home the hardware.
