Marvin Harrison Jr. overwhelmingly named Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was overwhelmingly named the Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by voters in the 13th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll.

This comes, in many ways, despite Harrison Jr.’s position. Honors like this are typically given to a quarterback. However, in a year where several teams in the Big Ten are going to be relying on first-year starters at quarterback, there was a gap for another position to win the honor. On top of that, Harrison Jr. is widely regarded as one of the best players in all of college football.

In 2022, Harrison Jr. dominated. He snagged 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns despite opposing defenses scheming against him. He was also named a unanimous All-American.

In the poll, Harrison Jr. was named on 35 of 37 ballots, receiving 27 first-place votes. That was good for 94 points, which was more than the combined total of the second and third-place vote-getters, both from Michigan, JJ McCarthy and Blake Corum.

Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord also received a first-place vote despite not being the 2022 starting quarterback. In fact, he has not officially been named as the starter, yet, and is only the presumed starter. Whether it’s McCord or another Buckeye quarterback who does get that first start in September, they will know that they can rely on Harrison Jr. to help make them look good.

In the history of the award, it has only been won in the postseason by a wide receiver twice. In 2004, Braylon Edwards and in 1991 it was won by Desmond Howard. Both players were Michigan wide receivers and Howard also won the Heisman.

Expectations are high for Marvin Harrison Jr. but he seems poised to live up to and possibly even exceed them.

Weighing Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Heisman chances

There are many people who think Marvin Harrison Jr. should have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy this season but are concerned that his position will count against him. However, Andy Staples says all you need to do is look at Davonta Smith.

“One guy who, if you talk to NFL Draft people, they love him, a top-five pick guaranteed? But his odds (for the Heisman Trophy) are a little bit different because of the position that he plays? Marvin Harrison Jr., wide receiver at Ohio State. (He’s) anywhere between +2200 and +2700 depending on what book you’re looking at. This is the best receiver in college football. Now, we go back to Devonta Smith winning the Heisman in 2020? He started the season at +10,000,” Staples said.

“And he was coming off of a year where he led Alabama in receiving and they had Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs also. If we’d looked closer, we probably would have realized how special he was going into that season. But, at the time, the thought was he’s pretty good, these other guys are really good. But we weren’t looking at him as a game-changing guy and that evolved as the season went on. There is no one who watched college football last season who doesn’t already think Marvin Harrison Jr. is a game-changing guy. I think what you saw with Devonta Smith? Because, remember, Mac Jones was a finalist that same year for the Heisman. But I think voters said this is the guy who’s the secret sauce – Devonta Smith. I think people will feel that way about Marvin Harrison Jr. if Ohio State’s offense is incredible. Which it probably is going to be pretty good.”