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Marvin Harrison Jr. avoided throwing Kyle McCord under the bus in pre-draft interview

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Marvin Harrison Jr. will go down as one of the best wide receivers in the prestigious history of Ohio State at the position. He’s also a top-notch teammate who owns his individual performances.

The 2023 Biletnikoff winner as the nation’s top receiver, Harrison finished his Buckeye career in the top 5 of the program’s all-time list for catches, receiving yards and touchdowns all while playing extensively in just 2 seasons. However, there were some times in 2023 when Harrison and former starting quarterback Kyle McCord were unable to get on the same page.

To anyone watching the Buckeyes, it was evident McCord struggled to find a consistent groove with the offense. At the end of the season, McCord transferred to Syracuse while Harrison, a high school teammate of McCord’s, left for the NFL Draft.

As a part of the pre-draft process, Harrison was offered a chance to throw McCord under the bus in regard to one play. HBO’s Hard Knocks Offseason recently featured a clip of Harrison interviewing with the New York Giants, and one throw by McCord came up.

Despite being goaded a bit, Harrison declined to throw McCord’s pass on the play under the bus while hammering home that he never says anything negative to the QB.

“You beat a guy like this, you’ve got a chance for a touchdown, he underthrows it,” said the interviewer. “What are you coming back to the huddle saying to him?

“I don’t say nothing to QBs, I don’t say nothing to QBs,” Harrison answered.

“It’s a shit throw, though. Right?”

“Ehh. I can make a play. I can make a play still. I will never say anything to the QB. Always blame it on myself as unable to make a play,” said Harrison.

Ultimately, it’s unlikely Harrison would have thrown his high school teammate under the bus at any point in time, but it’s a key test Harrison aced during the draft process. He was ultimately not drafted by the Giants but that had more to do with the draft order than New York likely being uninterested in his talents.

The Arizona Cardinals selected Harrison No. 4 overall, 2 spots before the New York Giants would use the No. 6 pick on LSU WR Malik Nabers. DraftKings currently has Harrison as the top non-QB in the Rookie of the Year odds at +700, and he is 3rd overall behind Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Fans can use Tradition’s best Ohio betting apps to get in on the action.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.