Ryan Day on Marvin Harrison Jr.'s NFL breakout: 'This is just the beginning of what he's able to do'
Marvin Harrison Jr. was targeted three times in his NFL Debut. The former Ohio State star finished with one reception for four yards in the Arizona Cardinals’ 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
But by the end of the first quarter last weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, Harrison had four catches, 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
He put the Week 1 overreactions about his sprint speed to bed in a blink of an eye when he scored a 60-yard touchdown that also saw him extend his arm five yards out from the end zone and reach the goal line like Superman. Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing moved Harrison around, and the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft showcased increasing chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wasn’t surprised to see Harrison break out in a 41-10 win over the Rams.
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“Marvin Harrison is a wonderful player,” Day said of the 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist and Biletnikoff Award winner Tuesday. “He’s gonna have a great career in the NFL. So after a week, or if it was two weeks or three weeks, you know Marv’s gonna be a great player in the NFL. He’s just such a pro. He’s going to translate very well in that league.
“This is just the beginning of what he’s able to do.”
Harrison could have had an even more prolific stat line against the Rams considering he was targeted four additional times, including in the red zone, where Murray couldn’t connect with him on a fade pattern.
That said, with more game experience, the dynamic between Murray and Harrison could grow exponentially. It certainly spread its wings in Week 2. Harrison appeared to improvise his route on not only his catch-and-run, 60-yard touchdown but also on his 32-yard reception down the left sideline, which featured a patented, Houdini-like scramble and throw from Murray.
Perhaps most notably, Murray threaded the needle with a perfectly-placed 23-yard touchdown pass on a skinny post to Harrison, who somehow reeled in the catch while getting his feet in bounds in the back of the end zone.
“I thought the first one was a really great throw and a great catch in the back of the end zone,” Day said, referencing that highlight-reel grab from Harrison. “I don’t know how he hung onto that one, but a really nice throw.
“And then a couple of them looked a little bit ad-libbed, but he’s a great route runner. So he’s going to have these type of days, and we’re proud of what he’s doing.”
Cardinals starting left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who Arizona selected No. 6 overall in the 2023 draft, lifted Harrison in the end zone after the rookie receiver’s first NFL touchdown, just as Johnson did in the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2021 college football season when Harrison broke out with three touchdown catches.
“Those two guys, really, I know are gonna have a strong impact on that organization,” Day said of Harrison and Johnson, Ohio State teammates during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.