Marvin Darnell Harrison Jr. (born August 11, 2002) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

for the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...

, where he was a two-time

unanimous All-American The College Football All-America Team is an honorific college football all-star team compiled after each NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) season to recognize that season's most outstanding performers at their respective positions. ...

, one of only eleven players in

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

history, and the

Fred Biletnikoff Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. (TQCF), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The award was creat ...

winner in 2023. Harrison was selected fourth overall by the Cardinals in the

2024 NFL draft The 2024 NFL draft was the 89th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft was held at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit on April 25–27, 2024. The draft had an attendanc ...

. He is the son of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

wide receiver

Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...

Early life

Harrison was born on August 11, 2002, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He is the son of Dawne Harrison and

, a

wide receiver who played for the NFL's

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

from 1996 to 2008. Harrison grew up playing football and basketball, ultimately deciding to focus solely on football when he entered high school. He attended

La Salle College High School La Salle College High School is a Catholic, all-male college preparatory school located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. La Salle is within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and i ...

as a freshman before transferring to

St. Joseph's Preparatory School St. Joseph's Preparatory School, known as "St. Joe's Prep" or simply "The Prep", is an urban, private, Catholic, college preparatory school run by the Society of Jesus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The school was founded in 1851 ...

. At St. Joseph's Harrison would help lead the team to three consecutive state championships while setting Philadelphia Catholic League career records with 2,625

receiving yards The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

and 37 receiving

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

s. While at St. Joseph's, he played with future Ohio State teammate Kyle McCord. Coming out of high school Harrison was a four-star prospect ranked as the nation's 14th best receiver recruit. He committed to play

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

over offers from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, Notre Dame,

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

, and his father's alma mater

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

. Harrison cited wide receiver coach

Brian Hartline Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was selected by the Miami D ...

as well as the school's atmosphere, facilities and his existing relationship with fellow Buckeyes commit Kyle McCord as being the reasons for his commitment to the school.

College career

2021

Harrison enrolled at Ohio State in January 2021. As a freshman in 2021, he received limited playing time behind future first-round NFL draft picks

Garrett Wilson Garrett Wilson (born July 22, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected 10th overall by the Je ...

, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Having only had five receptions for 68 yards in the regular season, he would make his first career start in the

2022 Rose Bowl The 2022 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2022, with kickoff at 5:13 p.m. EST (2:13 p.m. local PST) and televised on ESPN. It was the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl Game, and was one of the 2021–22 bo ...

after Wilson and Olave declared for the

2022 NFL draft The 2022 NFL draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual NFL draft, draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, Paradise next to Las Vegas. The first round ...

. In the Rose Bowl, he caught six passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns in a 48–45 victory over the

Utah Utes The Utah Utes are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. The athletic department is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans in the Unite ...

2022

Harrison entered his sophomore season with high expectations following his breakout performance in the Rose Bowl. In the Buckeyes' season opener against Notre Dame, Harrison caught five passes for 76 yards. Following an injury to fellow receiver Smith-Njigba against Notre Dame, Harrison became the Buckeyes' #1 receiver for the remainder of the season. In his first game as the team's top receiver, Harrison caught seven passes for a then career-high 184 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over

Arkansas State Arkansas State University (A-State or ASU) is a public research university in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System and the second-largest university in the state. The university ...

. The following week he had his second consecutive 100-yard game with 102 yards on 6 catches and two touchdowns in a blowout win over

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

. Following a relatively unimpressive first two conference games, Harrison returned to form against

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...

, catching 7 passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns against Michigan State marked his third career three-touchdown game, the most of any Ohio State receiver. Harrison set career highs in receptions (10) and yards (185) in a 44–31 victory over

. Two weeks later he would once again have a 100-yard game, this time against

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. Against

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

Harrison recorded his sixth 100-yard performance of the season in a 45–23 loss, the Buckeyes first of the season. Despite the loss to Michigan, Ohio State earned a bid to the

College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual single-elimination tournament, knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, D ...

where they would play the defending national champion

Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...

in the

Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 30, 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Grant Field on the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech c ...

. Leading up to the game, Harrison's matchup against

corner Corner may refer to: People *Corner (surname) *House of Cornaro, a noble Venetian family (''Corner'' in Venetian dialect) Places * Corner, Alabama, a community in the United States *Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia * Corner River, a tributary o ...

Kelee Ringo was viewed by many as the potential key to the game. Harrison shone in the first half of the contest, catching five passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, helping Ohio State gain a 35–24 lead. In the third quarter he was forced to leave the game with a concussion following a hard hit from Javon Bullard. In Harrison's absence Georgia mounted a comeback to win the game 42–41, ending Ohio State's season. At the conclusion of the season, Harrison was voted a

and named the

Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year Coaches and media of the Big Ten Conference award the following individual honors at the end of each football season. In addition, the ''Chicago Tribune'' awards the Chicago Tribune Silver Football to the most valuable football player of the confer ...

after recording 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Mavin Harrison Jr 2023 Michigan

2023

Entering the 2023 season, Harrison was widely considered to be the best receiver in college football. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the 2023

after recording 1,211 yards for 14 touchdowns, the latter being tied for third most in the FBS. Harrison declared for the

following the season.

Statistics

Professional career

2024

Harrison was selected by the

fourth overall in the

. He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $35.3 million fully guaranteed, on May 23, 2024. After catching only one pass for four yards in his NFL debut against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

, Harrison dominated the following week against the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

with four receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first quarter — as the Cardinals cruised to 41–10 win. In week 6 against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, Harrison left the game in the first half with a concussion. In week 8, he had six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. He finished his rookie season with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns.

NFL career statistics

Cardinals franchise records

Most receiving TDs by a rookie (tied with

Larry Fitzgerald Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the ...

and

Anquan Boldin Anquan Kenmile Boldin Sr. (; born October 3, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and w ...

)- 8.

Personal life

Harrison is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. He is a partner of the

Ronald McDonald House Charities Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC has a global network of ...

of Central Ohio.

Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...

broadcaster Gus Johnson referred to him as Maserati Marv in college.

References

External links

*
Arizona Cardinals bio

Ohio State Buckeyes bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison Jr, Marvin 2002 births Living people All-American college football players American football wide receivers Arizona Cardinals players Ohio State Buckeyes football players Players of American football from Philadelphia St. Joseph's Preparatory School alumni