Junior Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) checks in with the sideline before the snap against Wisconsin Oct. 28, 2023. The Philadelphia native Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Marvin Harrison Jr. is staying at Ohio State.
Well, at least for the weekend.
Harrison, who declared for the NFL draft earlier this year, will remain in Columbus rather than traveling to Indianapolis for the combine, which takes place this week. The two-time All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist will focus on preparing to play in the pros, rather than to succeed in the drills and testing scored by scouts, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
The decision may not be surprising to many.
Consider C.J. Stroud. The similarly situated Buckeye put up impressive numbers with his physical performance at last year’s combine. But the assessment of his mental capacities in Indianapolis raised red flags across the draft board – on the S2, a standardized cognitive test taken by young quarterbacks, he allegedly scored in the 18th percentile. By comparison, former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young scored in the 98th.
The results scared more than one league executive away from the former Ohio State quarterback and called his larger viability in the league into question. But the metric later proved functionally meaningless, as Stroud went on to outperform every other quarterback in the draft class during his inaugural season, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for his efforts. But the waiver it caused in Stroud’s stock was undeniable, even despite his status as a two-time Heisman finalist and one of the most exciting prospects in the 2023 draft.
Possibly informed by that example, it could be hard to criticize Harrisons’s choice to stay far away from any off-field measures, which could undermine confidence in his ability to translate his skills to the next level.
Harrison is not the only promising young receiver in this year’s class to evade evaluation in Indiana. According to the NFL, LSU’s wide receiver Malik Nabers will also forgo the combine’s testing and drills, though he will report to the event for interviews. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, also of LSU, and projected one-one-pick quarterback Caleb Williams, USC, will also not participate.
Given that Harrison’s three years in the scarlet and gray left little to doubt or dislike, his decision to focus on transferrable football skills also makes sense in light of the function the combine seeks to serve. For those players on the bubble, it can be a valuable opportunity to provide scouts with raw data to back up selection decisions made on the margins.
But for wideouts like Harrison, who seem unlikely to fall outside the top five players picked, there is far less to be gained and far more to be risked by participating.
Harrison has also opted out of Ohio State’s pro day, presumably on similar grounds.
