Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. opts out of Cotton Bowl vs. Missouri
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Two-time AP All-America receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. opted out of the Cotton Bowl for seventh-ranked Ohio State, though the junior has not revealed whether he will declare for the NFL draft.
Harrison was wearing his No. 18 jersey over a black hoodie when he ran out on the field with his Buckeyes teammates before Friday night’s game against No. 9 Missouri. He immediately went to the sideline and picked up a football, holding on to it as he stood and watched teammates go through pregame warmups, and then joined the skill players when they gathered together in a circle. He still was holding a ball when the game began, and was on the edge of offensive huddles during timeouts.
Ohio State was also without starting linebacker and leading tackler Tommy Eichenberg, the fifth-year player who had been questionable because of an arm injury. Eichenberg missed two games in the regular season, although he returned for the finale against Michigan.
If the 21-year-old Harrison declares for the draft, the Heisman Trophy finalist is expected to be one of the top picks in April.
The 6-foot-4 Harrison had 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He has 155 catches for 2,613 yards and 31 TDs in 38 games for the Buckeyes over the last three seasons.
Harrison was a unanimous AP All-American for the second season in a row and won the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the nation’s top receiver.
“Marvin’s been a pro ever since he stepped in our building,” coach Ryan Day said the day before the Cotton Bowl, when asked about Harrison’s legacy whenever he does leave Ohio State. “Everyone wants to talk about his dad and everything like that. … But Marvin is his own own man and he had big shoes to fill, he’s got his father’s name. But from the minute he stepped in our building, you knew that he was going to be a pro.”
Even though Harrison had been mostly on the side when practice sessions this week were open to reporters, Day had said Thursday that he wouldn’t answer the question about whether Harrison would play or what his plans were.
Marvin Harrison Sr. is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who ranks in the top 10 among NFL careers for career catches (1,102), receiving yards (14,580) and touchdowns (128). He played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, who took him with the 19th overall pick in the 1996 draft.
Day talked about all the hours the younger Harrison has spent in the film room, gym and on the practice field.
“When you ask him, what do you want to do in football, he says, I want to be the best receiver to ever play the game,” Day said. “Your habits have to reflect that. They do, and that’s what’s special about Marvin.”