After a relatively slow start for Ohio State’s vast NFL fraternity in Week 1, several former Buckeyes broke out with strong performances on the gridiron this Sunday.
Headlining the group of former Buckeyes who excelled in their Week 2 NFL games was rookie Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who had perhaps the most impressive performance out of any NFL wide receiver in just his second game of his NFL career.
Harrison, who was drafted by Arizona with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft this spring, had a quiet NFL debut last week, catching one pass for four yards, but he quickly moved past that on Sunday. After failing to bring in his first target, the 2023 Biletnikoff Winner found the end zone on a 23-yard toss from quarterback Kyler Murray on his second attempt, giving him his first career score in the NFL.
Harrison’s impressive toe-tapping catch seemed to springboard him to a strong overall outing in Arizona’s 41-10 blowout home win over the Rams. On the very first play of the Cardinals’ first drive, Harrison leaked past three Rams defenders and hauled in a deep ball from Murray, taking it the rest of the way and stretching into the end zone for an impressive 60-yard score.
Harrison then had two more catches on Arizona’s next drive, bringing him to a total of four receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns through just the first quarter. That ended up being his final stat line as he did not record another catch in the blowout win.
Harrison was one of several former Buckeye wideouts who stood out in Week 2. Harrison’s former teammate and Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a similarly impressive outing, recording a career-high 117 receiving yards and 12 receptions in Seattle’s 23-20 overtime win over the New England Patriots,
Two other Brian Hartline disciples stood out on Sunday, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, who combined for 138 yards on eight receptions in the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets’ victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
As for Ohio State’s former quarterbacks, 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year winner and Houston Texans C.J. Stroud had another strong performance in his first primetime game of his career, completing 23 of his 36 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.
Stroud’s former teammate and current Pittsburgh Steelers starter Justin Fields filled in admirably for the injured Russell Wilson for the second straight week. He led Pittsburgh to a 2-0 record after completing 13 of his 20 attempts for 117 yards and a passing touchdown, along with an additional 27 rushing yards on eight carries, in his teams’ 13-6 road victory against the Denver Broncos.
Also performing in Week 2 was Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, who has seemingly reverted back to his explosive Ohio State form under the leadership of former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. He tallied 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in L.A.’s 26-3 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, making it the second straight game where he has rushed for at least 130 yards and a score.
