Scarlet Sunrise: Marvin Harrison Jr. played on sprained ankle during 2022 season

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Marvin Harrison Jr. played on sprained ankle during 2022 season

Ohio State superstar wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. confirmed Wednesday night what FOX sideline reporter Allison Williams revealed last weekend during the broadcast of the Buckeyes’ 63-10 blowout win over Western Kentucky.

Harrison sprained his ankle Week 2 last season against Arkansas State. It happened on a pass downfield, the 2022 Biletnikoff Award finalist explained.

“I kind of got rolled up on,” Harrison said. “I don’t know. The adrenaline kept me going throughout the game and then throughout the year just had to manage it a little bit.”

Harrison more than just managed it a little bit. He went on to become the first Ohio State wide receiver to earn unanimous first-team All-American honors in school history. While piling up highlight-reel catches and, notably, four multi-touchdown games, Harrison recorded 72 receptions, 1,157 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.

One of those multi-score performances came against Georgia in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. Had Harrison not been knocked out of the game late in third quarter, the Buckeyes could have finished off the eventual back-to-back national champion Bulldogs.

But, despite being that good in 2022, he wasn’t full healthy.

“I was very limited, I was only able really to cut off one foot throughout the whole year. So I just didn’t really have much strength and mobility in the ankle. So it was really hard.”

Harrison added: “I wasn’t completely on one foot, but I felt it each game that I couldn’t really plant off that one leg how I really wanted to.”

Harrison navigated the injury with work-arounds, such as switching his feet while running certain routes or changing his depth a bit while still remaining within the offense, he noted.

Now, he said he feels good with his ankle and has confidence in decelerating and accelerating on both legs. That’s already showed up on career-long touchdown receptions of 71 yards against Youngstown State and 75 yards against Western Kentucky.

Entering Week 4, Harrison leads all Big Ten wide receivers in yards after the catch with 126, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kyle McCord preparing for first big road test, top-10 showdown

Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord is preparing for his fifth career start at Ohio State. He’ll be facing a Notre Dame team Saturday night that is led by Sam Hartman, a sixth-year quarterback who starred at Wake Forest before making the move to South Bend. Hartman, by contrast, will be making his 50th career start.

Experience can play a role in big games, like this weekend’s top-10 showdown in South Bend.

“I think it’s a factor, yeah,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “You know, how much of one? You know, Kyle’s been around. He hasn’t played a whole bunch of football, but he has been around, he’s seen it. He’s older and more mature than maybe a freshman who’s coming into the same situation. But no, I think experience does play a part of it. It’s not the No. 1 thing overall.”

More on the McCord-Hartman matchup here.

Ohio State opponent scout: Notre Dame reporter Jack Soble breaks down Fighting Irish

Lettermen Row reached out to BlueandGold.com beat writer Jack Soble to learn more about this year’s Notre Dame squad that has sprinted out to a 4-0 start in the second year under head coach Marcus Freeman.

Soble breaks down the Fighting Irish, including their biggest strengths, weaknesses, names to know and quirks.

It’s everything you need to know about Notre Dame two days before Ohio State’s first “matchup game.”

Go here for the Q&A.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Notre Dame: 2 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 65 days

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