Buckeyes defender named ESPN midseason All-American; Marvin Harrison Jr. snubbed
COLUMBUS — Ohio State superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was a preseason All-American after being a unanimous selection a year ago.
The junior wide out and projected top-five NFL Draft pick is averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game and has paced the Buckeyes offense.
That must not be enough for ESPN to give him the nod as a midseason All-American. He was left off the midseason All-American team by the ‘Worldwide Leader in Sports’ on Tuesday. The network instead selected LSU receiver Malik Nabers and Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden as its All-American selections.
One Ohio State player has impressed ESPN enough to be named on the list, though. Buckeyes star defensive tackle Tyleik Williams was selected as a midseason All-American by ESPN through his incredible first six games.
Here’s what ESPN’s Chris Low had to say about why Williams earned the nod:
When he showed up on Ohio State’s campus, Williams weighed more than 350 pounds. He’s now in the best shape of his career and playing his best football. The 6-2, 290-pound junior is fifth on the Buckeyes in total tackles (27) and leads the team in tackles for loss (six), while ranking second in pass breakups (four). In other words, he’s a menace in the middle of an Ohio State defense that has given up just seven touchdowns in six games.
Chris Lowe, ESPN
Low is right. Williams has been a dominant force in the middle of the Buckeyes defense during his third season on campus, giving them a stabilizing big man to help lead the front seven that appears to be one of the best units in the country.
Of course there are other options who have arguments as potential All-Americans for the Buckeyes. Safeties Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom have each make their case, as has cornerback Denzel Burke. None of those three members of the secondary even earned the ‘honorable mention’ nod from Low in his All-American team.
But the biggest snub from the Buckeyes is Harrison Jr., who has continued to put up incredible numbers for the Ohio State offense through six games. Turns out ESPN wanted to see more from him to give him All-American honors midway through the season.
Maybe if Harrison and the rest of the Buckeyes beat Penn State on Saturday in the Horseshoe (Noon on FOX), they’ll prove more than one member of the roster deserves attention as a potential All-American player at the end of the year.
