Stat Cat: Why Marvin Harrison Jr. ranks higher than Brock Bowers in list of college football's best players

On3 released its list ranking the top 100 players in college football — and there has been some controversy near the top of the rankings.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers ended up getting ranked No. 4 overall, which one spot behind Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3. On3’s Clark Brooks, a co-author of the list, aka Stat Cat, explained to JD PicKell why this is the case.

“At the end of the day a WR1 is going to be more impactful than a tight end would. … Sometimes, explosive plays are going to be a little more important, impactful than consistency,” Stat Cat told PicKell while breaking down the list. “He’s 6-foot-3, 200-plus pounds. If you wanted to build a receiver in the lab — with a Hall of Fame father, mind you — where else would you start then with Marvin Harrison Jr.?”

“His body control is fantastic. He has this trait known as late hands — he’s not just running down the field with his hands up. He’s waiting until the last second to pop his hands up which gives defenders less chances to react to that, helping himself out in the long run.”

During his sophomore season in 2022, Harrison hauled in 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. He’s due for an equally as productive season, even without the services of new Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud — which also makes Harrison one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Bowers also makes that list of way-too-early potential top-five draft picks. Also heading into his third season of college football, Bowers has racked up 119 catches for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns. He even has 165 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

“When you look at Brock Bowers, there’s not a whole lot to hate on,” Brooks said. “Very rarely do you see a tight end take a jet sweep to the house, untouched. Very rarely do you see tight ends used as an outlet screen threat. Very rarely can you use that same person down the seams and along the sideline as a deep threat.”

Whether you lean toward Harrison or more toward Bowers, there’s no denying how important they are to their team’s efforts. Ohio State and Georgia’s offenses won’t necessarily live and die by their performance — but they will certainly be the most impactful player for their respective squads.