Marvin Harrison Jr. left the door open just a crack for a return to Ohio State next season.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York, Harrison told reporters he was still “undecided” on whether or not he’d declare for the NFL Draft.
If he declares, the Heisman finalist is expected to be a top-five pick in 2024, which usually would make a decision like that pretty easy.
However, there may be two bigger motivations that could keep Harrison, 21, in Columbus: Beating Michigan and winning a conference title.
Harrison and the Buckeyes have not accomplished either in his three years in college.
“You guys know coming into this year, I wanted to beat the team up north and win a Big Ten championship and obviously I did not do that this year,” Harrison said. “I think there’s great motive to come back if that’s what I decide to do. That’s something I definitely want to do in my Ohio State career and not having done that yet, it definitely opens the door for me to come back. But undecided, really just taking it day by day at this at this time.”
Harrison, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., is coming off a season with 1,211 receiving yards as he sits among the contenders for college football’s top award.
He’s the first receiver in program history to record consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and he also has at least one touchdown in eight straight games heading into the Dec. 29 Cotton Bowl.
While Harrison has racked up accolades during his time at Ohio State, the losses to Michigan and the lack of a Big Ten title have still weighed heavy on him, he said.
“I’m definitely blessed to be getting all the recognition that I am for these different awards,” Harrison said. “But I think I’d trade it all for a win against The Team Up North and get to Indy and play in the Big Ten championship.”
He acknowledged that he would feel “incomplete” if he decided to leave college without completing either of those goals.
“It’s just something that if I do decide to move on and not come back, I’m gonna have to live with. It would be very hard for me,” he said. “But yeah, I think definitely winning a Big Ten championship, beating the team up north is something I wanted to do really bad as a college football player.”
Harrison has yet to decide whether or not he’s going to play in the Cotton Bowl, which could provide a window into his thinking on the bigger issue at hand.