Ohio State junior defensive end Zach Harrison has a decision to make, but it won’t come until after the Rose Bowl.
Harrison said Tuesday that he intends to play in the Rose Bowl and that a decision on whether or not to enter his name into the 2022 NFL Draft will have to wait until after this season has finished.
“I was playing regardless,” Harrison said. “I was playing regardless of what I decided to do. So, now I just have to keep getting information to really just make a decision (after the Rose Bowl).”
The opt-outs for Ohio State in the Rose Bowl – including wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett – have all announced their intentions to enter the draft.
If Harrison were to leave Ohio State, he’d finish his career with 63 tackles, 16.0 for loss, to go along with 7.5 sacks, five passes defended and a forced fumble, plus any statistics he would accrue in the Rose Bowl. While not the career Ohio State envisioned when he signed as a five-star prospect out of Olentangy Orange, he’s still projected as a third-round pick in the upcoming draft if he does declare.
If he elects to join the Buckeyes for one more season, he’d be the clear leader among the defensive lineman and on the edge with a chance to boost his draft stock even further if he can take the next step in his development and live up to his five-star status.
