NFL teams have been salivating over Marvin Harrison Jr. since the Ohio State junior started lighting up opposing secondaries last year, and now they’ll finally get their chance to take him this spring at the 2024 NFL draft.
While there’s a small glimmer of hope from Buckeyes fans that Harrison won’t declare for the NFL, instead opting to return to Ohio State and rake in more name, image and likeness money, former NFL star J.J. Watt burst their bubble with some logic.
“Marvin Harrison Jr. will go Top 5 in the upcoming draft,” Watt wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday. “He’ll average ~$9M/yr over 4 years. $9M would be a gigantic NIL number. More importantly, if he stays, he’s one year further away from the massively lucrative 2nd contract. He’s earned the opportunity and he deserves it.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. will go Top 5 in the upcoming draft.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 7, 2023
He’ll average ~$9M/yr over 4 years.
$9M would be a gigantic NIL number.
More importantly, if he stays, he’s one year further away from the massively lucrative 2nd contract.
He’s earned the opportunity and he deserves it. https://t.co/JachgIhLkS
NIL has proven to be a healthy incentive for some players to stay in college—but not Harrison. The fact of the matter is he will likely be the first wide receiver taken in April, guaranteeing him more money than he’d ever make at Ohio State. His stock is also higher than ever with him sitting at 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches on the year.
Harrison currently has at least one game left in his collegiate career on Dec. 29 when Ohio State faces off against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, although it’s unclear as of yet whether or not he will elect to play. Harrison recently stated that he is "undecided" on playing in the bowl game.
