C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr. named Maxwell Award semifinalists
COLUMBUS — Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. put on another clinic in State College last weekend, and Tuesday they were fittingly recognized as semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the best player in college football.
Stroud and Harrison have the opportunity to become the first Buckeyes player to claim the award since former Ohio State Heisman Trophy-winning running back Eddie George in 1995.
The Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy often go hand-in-hand. That’s been the case the last three years, as Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (2021) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (2020) as well as LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (2019) have taken home both awards in their respective standout seasons. In 2018, however, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray won the Heisman, and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won the Maxwell Award.
Before the Buckeyes eye-popping, 28-point fourth quarter this past Saturday, Stroud and Harrison made up most of the Ohio State offense. The Buckeyes piled up 263 total yards in the first three quarters of the 44-31 victory. Of those 263 yards, 136 came from the Stroud and Harrison connection.
The duo, which has taken off this year after Harrison’s coming out party in last season’s Rose Bowl, was particularly effective on third and fourth down versus the Nittany Lions. Ohio State converted just four third downs at Penn State—three of those conversions were a result of a Stroud-Harrison hookup. Plus, Harrison moved the sticks on a 4th-and-7 late in the second quarter.
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“That’s what elite passing teams do,” Harrison said. “When the other team knows you’re passing the ball, you still convert on those third downs, those fourth downs, things like that. You’ve just got to do that.”
Harrison, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, has showcased all-world talent in 2022, in part thanks to his length that comes with an impressive 6-foot-4 frame. He’s currently 12th in the FBS in receiving yards (783) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (10). The sophomore stud is posting an 89.3 Pro Football Focus receiving grade, good for fourth in the country.
His partner-in-crime, Stroud, is tied for 28th among all FBS quarterbacks in PFF passing grade (84.6). Stroud, despite sitting out for garbage time in Ohio State blowouts this season, is 12th nationally in passing yards (2,377) and, most notably, tied for first in touchdown passes (29). Stroud did have a streak of four consecutive games with an interception, but he snapped that against Penn State.
Stroud is still the Heisman favorite, according to the folks at VegasInsider.
Along with Stroud and Harrison, 18 other players were named semifinalists.
Here is the complete list:
Alabama QB Bryce Young
Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Georgia TE Brock Bowers
Illinois RB Chase Brown
Michigan RB Blake Corum
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Oregon QB Bo Nix
Pitt RB Abanikanda
TCU QB Max Duggan
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt
Texas RB Bijan Robinson
UAB RB DeWayne McBride
UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet
USC QB Caleb Williams
Utah QB Cam Rising
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
