Marvin Harrison Jr.: Ohio State not right place for recruits searching for NIL packages

INDIANAPOLIS – Marvin Harrison Jr. looked the part Wednesday of a possible No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

The Ohio State receiver and a finalist for last year’s Biletnikoff Award was wearing Louis Vuitton shoes, along with a Louis Vuitton bracelet and bag. The outfit was topped off by a Rolex.

Some might say he can purchase those items because his father’s name, Marvin Harrison, hangs on the wall at Lucas Oil Stadium. But don’t forget Harrison is also arguably the most marketable name in college athletics currently. While he opted not to sign an NIL deal during his breakout sophomore season, Harrison has now inked seven NIL agreements since March.

NIL was not prevalent in his recruitment when he was a top-10 receiver prospect coming out of Philadelphia – it did not exist. Yet, no other college football player next to Caleb Williams has been able to show off what an athlete can earn from endorsement deals thanks to the NIL Era.

Harrison made a clear statement about where NIL stands at Ohio State on Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days. Specifically, Harrison said that Columbus and the Buckeyes aren’t for prospects who are looking to cash in. That doesn’t mean NIL opportunities will not come at Ohio State. Excelling on the field with the Buckeyes’ brand can present plenty of deals, as Harrison has shown in the last four months.

“We’re here to be great receivers, be here to beat the Team Up North, win national championships,” he said. “If your main focus is NIL, this isn’t the place for you. But I think that’s definitely part of it now in college football. I think the Columbus market is really great. Ohio State, the brand itself, is one of the best brands in college football that you can be attached to.”

OSU helps Harrison get ‘attached to the right people’

After adding more than 200,000 social media followers since October, Harrison has become a name many brands have on their NIL wish list. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver has partnered with the Ohio State-driven Cohesion Foundation to do charity work with the Ronald McDonald House. He signed with the other Buckeyes-driven collective, The Foundation, too.

While he has yet to sign with any representation, he signed with Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Columbus at the end of February and received the keys to a Chevrolet Tahoe. Harrison has added agreements with ZOA Energy and Dr Teal’s Epsom salt in the last 10 days.

Ohio State has been able to open up some doors for Harrison. While the Buckeyes cannot facilitate any NIL agreements, the brand itself has drawn Columbus businesses into the NIL space.

“The brand is so big, they can kind of connect them with the right people,” Harrison said. “When you’re doing business like that, you just want to be attached to the right people and do things for the right reasons.”