Marvin Harrison Jr. earns second straight All-America nod from The Athletic
COLUMBUS — Let the awards, recognition and honors begin rolling in for Ohio State superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
A few days after being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Harrison Jr. has cracked the first of many first-team All-American lists. This one came from The Athletic. Harrison Jr. is one of three wide receivers named first-team All-Americans by that publication; the other two are LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze.
Harrison finished the 2023 regular season with 1,211 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown. That production came with a spotlight on him as the focal point of the Ohio State offense, leading to plenty of double-coverage efforts from opposing defenses. Of course, it didn’t matter. Harrison still finished with eight 100-yard receiving games this season.
“I think I’ve said it before that the Heisman Trophy goes to the most outstanding player in the country,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said about Harrison Jr. “I know there’s a lot of great players out there. I get to see him every day. I think he’s the most outstanding player in the country. … He makes everybody on that field better.”
It led to Harrison Jr. being named a Heisman Trophy finalist — and a first-team All-American selection from The Athletic.
Denzel Burke named second-team All-American from The Athletic
Harrison Jr. wasn’t the only Buckeyes star to earn All America honors. Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke was named a second-team All American from The Athletic.
Burke returned to elite form this season after struggling with injuries during his sophomore campaign last year. He was a breakout star two years ago when he was a true freshman.
But he certainly was one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes defense took such a big step forward this season, especially in the secondary.
For his efforts, he’s a second-team All American.
Marvin Harrison Jr. also named B1G Offensive Player of Year, Heisman Finalist
For the second straight season, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year.
But this year, Harrison Jr. earned an even bigger Big Ten award to go along with it.
The Buckeyes superstar wide receiver was named the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year by the Big Ten, a clear and obvious honor that goes to the top player at the position each year. He became the first Buckeyes player to win it last year, and now he’s the second two-time winner.
But he was also named the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year for his production. It’s the sixth straight year an Ohio State player has won the award.
Harrison Jr. is the first wide receiver in that run and the first receiver to win the award since Michigan’s Braylon Edwards in 2004. Edwards, Desmond Howard (1991) Harrison Jr. are the only three Big Ten receivers ever to win that award.
His list of accomplishments and records:
- 2022 and 2023 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year
- 2022 Unanimous All-American
- 2022 Biletnikoff Award runner-up
- 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
- 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist
- Holds record for most 100-yard receiving games in Ohio State history
- Became only Buckeyes player to ever have back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons
