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Published Dec 16, 2020
Signed: Rivals100 WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Joseph Hastings  •  DottingTheEyes
Recruiting Reporter

Ohio State did almost as good of a job recruiting in the state of Pennsylvania in this cycle as the program could have hoped for.

Sure, they did miss out on five-star offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and Rivals100 defensive back Derrick Davis Jr. The Buckeyes were able, however, two land two of the top-three senior prospects in the state: Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison Jr., who gave Buckeye Nation a treat on Halloween 2019 when he committed to the program, has officially signed with the program.

The 15th-ranked wide receiver on Rivals kept a very low profile throughout the course of his commitment. Harrison Jr. has not conducted too many interviews as a Buckeye pledge, though he’s been in full support on the program on his social media pages.

While he’s not one to speak with the media too often, Harrison Jr. let his work on the field do the talking this year. He had a very impressive senior year campaign as he hauled in 27 receptions for 613 yards and nine touchdowns in just six games. Harrison Jr. was also able to break the record for All-Time Philadelphia Catholic League career receiving yards back in November.

Harrison Jr. is slated to be a mid-year enrollee, and will be joined by fellow talented pass catchers Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Ballard at the next level.

Analyzing Harrison Jr.'s Skill Set

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Before I dive into my thoughts on Harrison Jr.’s skill set, I wanted to put in this section from BuckeyeGrove’sDave Lackford’s analysis of him back in July. Lackford came away very impressed after dissecting his junior film.

“My assessment of Harrison is that he's a long, rangy receiver who can stand add about 15 to 20 pounds of muscle to his frame,” Lackford wrote. “His track times manifest to his game speed. While he's a high hipped long strider, he's not stiff and looks twitchy. He possesses a large catch radius coupled with a natural ability to track the ball as well as go up and high-point it and bring it down in a crowd.

“He's also a willing an effective blocker, whether he's cracking down on a linebacker or stalking a defensive back downfield. Harrison is one of the most complete receiver prospects in the country and his blocking ability could lead him to jump out ahead of the pack and see the field before others vying for a spot on the depth chart.”

Watching Harrison Jr.'s senior film, I saw a player who does everything you want, and more, at the wide receiver position. Whether it's slant routes, go routes, screen plays, you name it — Harrison Jr. can get it done and pick up big yardage.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 203 pounds, Harrison Jr. can also leap over smaller defenders and reel in passes with his large catch radius. He's not a finesse receiver, either, as Harrison Jr. is willing to get physical and block cornerbacks in run situations.

The combination of his track-like speed, ability to run the route tree and be an asset in the rushing attack makes Harrison Jr. an intriguing wideout who could potentially see the field early in Columbus.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.

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