Marvin Harrison Jr. Teases Return To Ohio State Amid Reports Of Historic NIL Deal
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. pull the trigger on returning to Ohio State?
The internet was set on fire Wednesday night when it was reported by Christian Williams that the star receiver for the Buckeyes could make first round money to return to Columbus.
As pointed out by Andrew Brandt, that number would be right around $25 million for Harrison in order to match what he'd earn right away by going to the draft.
If Williams is a top-five pick, which is likely, then he'd make at least $20 million in signing bonus money alone during his rookie year. There's never been an NIL deal in college football history that has come close to matching top-five pick money, and it's probably smart to be skeptical it will happen.
Marvin Harrison Jr. responds to speculation about his future.
Well, speculation is going to soar that Harrison might return after some comments about his future and his desire to beat Michigan - something he hasn't done.
"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. I think it's a 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 being done yet definitely opens the door for me to come back. Undecided. Just taking it day by day at this time," the super talented receiver told the media Thursday.
You can watch his full comments, and send me your reactions to David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
What will Harrison do?
There was already a lot of smoke surrounding this situation. Harrison openly coming out and saying the door is open amid reports of a historic NIL deal is going to pour a lot of gasoline on the situation.
However, I have to urge people to remain skeptical. There's never been an NIL deal in the range of $25 million. It's an outrageous number for a college student.
It's believed Caleb Williams might earn right around $2.5 million to $3 million, and he's a Heisman winner.
Jumping up to top-five NFL Draft pick money is a massive step up. I'm skeptical a deal can be done in that range, but where there's a will, there's a way.
Add in the fact Marvin Harrison Jr. is straight up talking about how he has unaccomplished goals in Columbus, and it's easy to understand why fans are going to run wild with this situation.
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. return to Ohio State? (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
As someone with no dog in this fight, I'd encourage everyone to relax, analyze every little bit of information and definitely don't overreact. It's a fluid situation that could change at any moment. Right now, I'd definitely argue Harrison will be playing on Sundays in 2024, but for the sake of college football, it would be wild to watch him return. Let me know your predictions at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.