Ohio State’s Tuesday practice was open to the media, and as the Buckeyes went through practice, Marvin Harrison Jr. was not in uniform and did not participate with the team.
While Ohio State hasn’t officially confirmed that he has opted out of the Cotton Bowl, this is a strong indication that he won’t be playing in the game when Friday comes, which was expected.
Harrison is projected to go in the top three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, which wouldn’t be helped by anything he could do in one game against Missouri, but he will avoid injury by remaining on the sidelines.
He has said that he is undecided about whether he will enter his name into the draft, citing not completing his goals of beating Michigan, winning a Big Ten Championship and winning a national championship as reasons he might want to come back, but this shows it is very likely Harrison won’t return to Ohio State next year.
With Harrison out, and Julian Fleming gone in the transfer portal, two starting wide receiver spots are open for the Cotton Bowl to be pass catching options for Devin Brown. Those two players will likely be Xavier Johnson and Carnell Tate.
No other Buckeyes have opted out of the game yet, but Lathan Ransom will be absent from the game because of the injury he suffered against Wisconsin that has kept him out since then.
