5 things to know about Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a Heisman finalist

Marvin Harrison Jr. is a Heisman Trophy finalist with a familiar name.

The Ohio State wide receiver is the only non-quarterback among the four Heisman Trophy finalists. Though he is unlikely to win, it’s an impressive achievement for a wide receiver to be a finalist for college football’s most prestigious award. Ohio State hadn't had a non-quarterback Heisman finalist since running back Eddie George won in 1995.

Here are five things to know about Harrison:

His father is Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr.

The elder Harrison played for the Indianapolis Colts and was Peyton Manning’s favorite target for 11 seasons. Harrison was a first-round pick in 1998. Manning arrived two years later.

Together, they set NFL records as a quarterback-wide receiver combination in passing yards (12,766), touchdowns (114), completions (953) and touchdown completions 20 yards or longer (52).

Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

He's taught me pretty much everything I know, more so the mentality of the game and how to approach the game," Marvin Jr. said. "I try to work as hard as he did. He obviously set the bar very high, and I have big shoes to fill, but I'm trying to get there."

Marvin Harrison Jr. and quarterback Kyle McCord were high school teammates

Harrison began his prep career in Philadelphia at La Salle College High School before transferring to St. Joseph’s Prep, in part to play with Kyle McCord, who was already a budding star. In fact, McCord was a higher-rated rated recruit. He was a five-star prospect. Harrison was considered a four-star recruit.

McCord committed to sign with Ohio State before Harrison, who said that McCord was a factor in his decision.

“It definitely had a little impact going into (my) college (choice),” Harrison said, “not just as a quarterback but as a friend first.”

Harrison became a starter last year and this year was the favorite target for McCord, who became Ohio State’s starter after C.J. Stroud went to the NFL.

Despite leading Ohio State to an 11-1 record this season, McCord decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal for his final college season.

The 2022 Rose Bowl started his stardom

Harrison impressed coaches and teammates with his work ethic and talent as soon as he arrived on campus as a freshman. But Ohio State had a loaded wide receiver unit featuring first-round NFL draft picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, both now stars in the pros.

Harrison saw limited action his freshman year until Ohio State’s Rose Bowl game against Utah. The Rose Bowl was not a College Football Playoff game, so Olave and Wilson chose not to play to protect against injury.

That gave Harrison his chance, and he capitalized. He caught three touchdown passes from Stroud in Ohio State’s 48-45 comeback victory. As impressive as that was, it was overshadowed by the performance of fellow receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who set a record for any bowl with 347 receiving yards in 15 catches.

Smith-Njigba and Harrison were expected to be the top receiving duo in the country in 2022, but Smith-Njigba’s season was ruined by a hamstring injury. Harrison was Ohio State’s top receiver with 77 catches for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.

What are Marvin Harrison Jr.’s unique gifts?

Harrison is listed at 6 feet 4 but has unusual quickness and agility for a receiver that size. Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said that while Harrison has the upper torso of a tall player, his legs are the size of a smaller receiver, giving him rare shiftiness.

OSU receiver Emeka Egbuka said Harrison has another atypical attribute.

“He's kind of like a bionic person,” Egbuka said. “In these (weight) lifts, he gets tired. But give him 30 minutes afterward, and he's good to go.

“That would be amazing if I could do that – just run routes 24/7 and not have my legs be tired. To be able to go full speed and not having your hamstrings being burnt out from a lift, it definitely is a benefit.”

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s brother is a budding star

Harrison has a younger brother, Jett, who’s an eighth grader and could be another star receiver.

“He’s great,” Harrison Jr. said. “He’s definitely more talented than I ever was at that age. He started early with the routes and everything from my dad, so I’m super excited to see how he comes along. It's going to be very scary to see how he progresses.”

Harrison said Jett is already interested in Ohio State, and his brother hopes he follows him to Columbus.

“Of course. He sees me here, and he naturally wants to follow in my footsteps,” he said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 things to know about Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.