Marvin Harrison Jr. picked by media as preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
COLUMBUS — Regardless of who wins the Ohio State quarterback battle this offseason, Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will remain the face of the offense.
He’s one of two players, along with senior tight end Cade Stover, representing the unit at Big Ten Media Days. He’s already projected to be the highest-drafted wideout since Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson Jr. went No. 2 overall in 2007.
Harrison was a Biletnikoff Award finalist last season. And this season he’s cleveland.com’s preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Harrison appeared on 35 of 37 ballots and gathered 27 first-place votes in the 13th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll, which required voters to submit three names (three points were given for a first-place vote, two points were given for a second-place vote and one for a third). As a result, Harrison collected 94 points, more than Michigan running back Blake Corum and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy combined. That Wolverines pairing came in second and third, respectively, with four and five first-place votes.
The lone remaining first-place vote? That went to Ohio State junior quarterback Kyle McCord, who is the betting favorite to win the starting job but hasn’t been named QB1 yet. He’s still competing with redshirt freshman Devin Brown, a fellow former five-star prospect and Elite 11 finalist.
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It’s important to note, though, that Ohio State quarterbacks have dominated the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award in years past. In fact, a Buckeyes signal caller has won it each of the last five years: Dwayne Haskins in 2018, Justin Fields in 2019 and 2020 and C.J. Stroud in 2021 and 2022.
Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen was fourth in the poll voting for preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Harrison is hoping to become the third-ever Big Ten wide receiver to win the award. The only others played for Michigan: Desmond Howard in 1991 and Braylon Edwards in 2004.
Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 scores last season. He built on an impressive, breakout Rose Bowl performance from the season prior, in which he hauled in a trio of touchdown passes.
cleveland.com preseason Big Ten Offensive PoY voting
1. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State): 94 points (27 first-place votes)
2. RB Blake Corum (Michigan): 56 (4)
3. QB J.J. McCarthy (Michigan): 27 (5)
4. RB Braelon Allen (Wisconsin): 21
T-5. RB Nick Singleton (Penn State): 6
T-5 QB Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland): 6
7. QB Kyle McCord (Ohio State): 5 (1)
T-8. OT Olu Fashanu (Penn State): 2
T-8. RB TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State): 2
T-8. RB Donovan Edwards (Michigan): 2
11. WR Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State): 1
