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Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. named unanimous All-American for second year in a row

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. became a unanimous All-American for a second consecutive season after he was named to the first team by the American Football Coaches Association on Thursday.

He had previously received first-team honors from the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation, the other outlets used by the NCAA for determining unanimous and consensus status.

The recognition places Harrison in rare company. He joins offensive tackle Orlando Pace, tailback Archie Griffin, fullback Bob Ferguson and halfback Howard Cassady as the Buckeyes’ only two-time unanimous All-Americans.

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a consensus All-American following his season of 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a consensus All-American following his season of 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Harrison caught 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns this season as he shouldered a heavy load for an offense that was without fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka for most of October and not as prolific with C.J. Stroud no longer behind center.

It was the second straight 1,000-yard receiving season for Harrison, who totaled 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago.

Harrison has been widely recognized on the awards circuit this month, and the honors continued later Thursday when he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football Award as the top player in the Big Ten, beating out Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the distinction. He totaled 19 points with seven first-place votes and five second-place votes from 12 of the league's coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own players.

He previously received the nation’s top honor for a pass catcher when he took home the Biletnikoff Award last Friday and finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy on Saturday as the most outstanding player in college football. He was the Buckeyes’ first receiver to be named a Heisman finalist.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Marvin Harrison Jr. named unanimous All-American for second time