Marvin Harrison Jr. shares Ohio State's quarterback plan does not impact NFL decision

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a Biletnikoff and Heisman finalist and one of the best players in college football, is considering returning for another year, despite being draft eligible. And he said what happens with the quarterback position won’t affect his decision.

Speaking with reporters during the Heisman weekend, Harrison was asked if Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord hitting the transfer portal impacts his calculus about potentially staying in Columbus versus entering in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“It don’t matter who the quarterback is,” Harrison said. “As a receiver, one of the best receivers if not the best receiver in the country, I always look at myself as someone who can make it work with anybody. So, no impact there.”

McCord was good for the Buckeyes, but didn’t deliver the high-octane passing attack of recent teams. He finished the 2023 regular season completing 66.5% of his passes for 3170 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He and Harrison were also high school teammates.

Currently, Ohio State has Devin Brown atop the quarterback depth chart, and he’s in line to get the start in the Cotton Bowl. There’s also the possibility of a transfer quarterback filling the starting quarterback role for 2024.

But Harrison knows that if he comes back, the quarterback he plays with will be someone the coaches trust. And if that’s the case, he knows he can trust his quarterback.

“I know the coaches fully have trust in him, so I have trust in him as well,” Harrison said.

Harrison explained some of his reasoning for wanting to return on Thursday

Harrison’s motivation for returning to Ohio State would be simple: He hasn’t defeated Michigan or won a Big Ten title in three years with the Buckeyes. But Harrison is also projected to be not only the top wide receiver drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a potential Top 5 pick.

“Coming into this year, I wanted to beat The Team Up North and win a Big Ten Championship and obviously I did not do that this year. I think there’s a great motive to come back if that’s what I decide to do. That’s something I definitely wanted to do in my Ohio State career, and not having done that yet definitely opens the door for me to come back. But undecided, really just taking it day by day at this time,” Harrison said.

He also has not made a decision about playing in the Cotton Bowl for the Buckeyes, but Harrison does plan to be with the team in Dallas for the game regardless.

Harrison has been a dominant presence the past two seasons at wide out. He’s got 144 catches for 2474 yards and 28 touchdowns in hist last 15 games, tantalizing NFL talent evaluators with his unparalleled combination of size, explosion and agility while being among the most polished players at his position.