Ryan Day makes Marvin Harrison Jr.'s case to win the Heisman Trophy
With the season coming to a close, the race for The Heisman Trophy is also coming down to the wire. Several players remain in contention but, to Ryan Day, none are more deserving than Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr..
Day obviously made the case for his superstar wideout during his press conference on Tuesday. To him, if the award represents what he believes that it does, Harrison Jr. should be the clear choice as college football’s most exceptional player.
“I think I’ve said it before that the Heisman Trophy goes to the most outstanding player in the country,” explained Day. “There’s a lot of great players out there. I get to see him everyday – I think he is the most outstanding player in the country.”
Furthermore, Day pointed to Harrison Jr.’s all-around approach on and off the field. He went all the way back to his arrival in Columbus to the present day as the basis for why his justification stands above the rest for the sport’s most prestigious award.
“He, right from the jump, came in with a work ethic that, really, has transcended throughout the whole team,” said Day. “Just what he has done and, now, the production as well.
“He wants to be great,” Day continued. “I know that – you can just tell it. His actions back that up. And, certainly, his production speaks for itself on the field with what he’s doing. He makes everybody on that field better.”
Through 10 games, Harrison Jr. has caught 59 passes, posted 1,063 receiving yards, and scored 13 total touchdowns. All three statistics essentially double, if not triple, the production of the next closest receiver for the Buckeyes as he’s Ohio State’s leading receiver for the second consecutive campaign.
With those statistics, Harrison Jr. is second in the nation in receiving scores with a dozen, seventh in receiving yards, and Top-25 in total receptions.
Since 1990, only two wide receivers, Desmond Howard and DeVonta Smith, have won the Heisman. It has become a quarterback-heavy recognition with 19 from that position winning it since 2000 and could remain that way this year considering the other nominees.
However, Day believes it may be time to break that mold with the kind of season that Harrison Jr. is having.
Day hopes to see Devin Brown ‘survive’ warmups, return this week
Devin Brown had a fluke injury in warmups so he didn’t go against Michigan State this past weekend. Ryan Day now anticipates Brown to be good to go for Ohio State’s next game against Minnesota.
Kyle McCord won the job earlier this year, relegating Brown to backup duty. Still, in five game appearances, Brown is 12-of-22 passing for 197 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also has a rushing score.
But, as Day said, it was a small setback ahead of Michigan State.
“He’s alright. Just a bit of a setback there in the warm ups,” Day said. “But, you know, hoping to see him get back on the field this week and survive warmups.”