Ohio State Buckeyes superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is a sure bet to be a top-five pick if he declares for the 2024 NFL Draft. But the key word is “if.”
Many expect Harrison Jr. to be a top-three selection in April’s draft, along with quarterbacks in USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. But according to ESPN analyst and Amazon Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” announcer Kirk Herbstreit, there’s an interesting factor that may prompt Harrison Jr. to return to college next year.
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Herbstreit noted that though he’d “be shocked if” Harrison Jr. didn’t declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s also not “a slam dunk” because of NIL (name, likeness, image).
“It just shows you the kind of money that’s out there for some of these guys in the new world that we live in. I would be shocked if (Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t declare). I’m sure he’ll eventually declare…It’s not just a slam dunk anymore with some of these guys, maybe staying because of the money they can make.”
The NCAA previously had strict rules that disallowed athletes from making money off their NIL. But in the summer of 2021, the NCAA announced a major rule change that now allows athletes to sign NIL deals.
With Harrison Jr. being one of the top players in the nation, he could easily land significant amounts of cash in NIL deals. And that’s not the only thing that could bring Harrison back to Ohio State for one more year!
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According to NFL Rookie Watch, Harrison has two key goals that he would like to check off before moving on from college football and becoming a pro: Beat Michigan and win a Big Ten championship.
Oh course, Harrison Jr. has yet to accomplish either of those, as Michigan has won the last three game against Ohio State. And they’ve also won the last two Big Ten championships, with a chance to make it three in a row with a victory over Iowa on Saturday.
If Harrison Jr. decides to go back to college, he wouldn’t be the first generational prospect to skip his first year of NFL Draft eligibility. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck memorably decided not to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft and waited another year — eventually going first overall to the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.
