Some of football's best have come through Columbus and The Ohio State University. Creating a Mount Rushmore for the best Ohio State football players is no easy task. Unless, of course, you're Marvin Harrison Jr.
When asked where Harrison put himself among the Buckeyes' best wide receivers ever, the Arizona Cardinals rookie ranked himself at the top of the list during a sitdown on The Trenches Show with Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin.
“I think I'm the best.”
Harrison Jr. came ready with an argument to make his case.
“Look at it from a numbers standpoint. You do per game, on a per-game basis. Because I think Michael Jenkins or Cris Carter, they started their freshman year. Started their whole freshman year. I didn't get to start my freshman year,” Harrison said. “I only started one game my freshman year.”
The Ohio State football all-time leader in receptions is K.J. Hill (201). Jenkins finished with the most receiving yards (2,898). Chris Olave leads all-time with 35 receiving touchdowns. MHJ finished with 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns in 26 games. Every other all-time stat leader played far more games (Hill 53, Jenkins 38, Olave 38).
“Obviously, in my two years, I did my thing. Then you look at the accolades. Two-time (Big Ten) Receiver of the Year. Big Ten player of the year. Unanimous All-American in back-to-back years,” Harrison said. “I did it all.”
It's a big statement. But how can an athlete at his level not have that self-belief to some degree?
Marvin Harrison Jr.'s place among the Ohio State football's best
The Buckeyes are one of the most storied programs in college football. Even tracking their best receivers would create a list of all-time greats across college and pro football. It all starts with legends like Paul Warfield, Cris Carter and Terry Glenn.
Then there are long-time pros like Jenkins, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes Ted Ginn Jr., and David Boston. There are also current and recent NFL stars like Michael Thomas, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and countless others who've been in the league over the last decade.
And without missing a beat, Harrison put the crown on himself.
The expectations are high for good reason. Even from his teammates, like tight end Trey McBride, are already singing his praises as the second-year player told Adam Schefter.
“This guy is elite. He’s a freak of nature,” McBride said. “It’s one of those things where a guy of his stature shouldn’t be able to move the way he moves. Shouldn’t be as fast as he is, shouldn’t be able to catch the ball the way he does. Everything he does is elite. The hype that was around him in college, he definitely lived up to the hype. He's a great person, a great player and I'm excited to see the connection him and Kyler [Murray] have come training camp.”
Look for Harrison to carry the torch passed to him by his NFL Hall of Fame father in 2024 and beyond.
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