As a star coming out of Ohio State a year ago, expectations were high for Marvin Harrison Jr. as he entered his first NFL season. After being selected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, the wide receiver failed to meet the high expectations during his rookie year.
In 17 games, 16 of which were starts, during the 2024 season, Harrison caught 62 of 116 targets for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. These statistics placed him fifth in receptions and receiving yards and second in receiving touchdowns among all rookies. However, there was a feeling in Arizona that he could have achieved even more.
"Obviously, there's always room for improvement," Harrison said when meeting with the media this offseason. "For me, every season, how every season goes, no matter how it goes, I'm always looking to improve, get better for the next season."
In three seasons with the Buckeyes, Harrison emerged as the top receiver in college football. He was the Big Ten Richter-Howard Wide Receiver of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and was honored as the Biletnikoff Award and Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year winner in his final season.
DONATE TO 'THE FOUNDATION': Click here now to assist with Name, Image and Likeness compensation for Ohio State football and basketball student-athletes.
Ohio State won the national championship game in the first 12-team College Football Playoff, beating Notre Dame for the crown! The 2025 spring practice concluded with the spring game and the transfer portal is closed. The basketball season has concluded. It's officially offseason time for Ohio State. Stay on top of the latest Buckeye news by BECOMING A BUCKNUTS SUBSCRIBER today!
Harrison matched Cardinals' legends Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald for touchdown catches by a rookie. He had two fewer receptions, more yards and the same number of touchdowns as his Pro Football Hall of Fame father, Marvin Harrison Sr.
"A little too similar," Harrison joked when asked about his numbers being so close to his dad's.
Understanding the high expectations placed on him in Arizona, Harrison is working diligently this offseason. He describes it as his first true offseason since being drafted just over a year ago, and he is committed to meeting those expectations in his second season in the NFL.
When he arrived at the Cardinals' practice facility in May, Harrison appeared noticeably bigger than he had during his rookie season.
"I definitely put on some pounds," Harrison said without saying how much weight he's gained. "I think I added some muscle to my body a little bit.
"Obviously, football is a physical game. A lot of contested catch situations, run after catch, things like that. So I want to see how things play out during OTAs, training camp and see where it goes."
In addition to training in an NFL weight room, Harrison mentioned that he is eating more this offseason than he has in previous years. However, he is ensuring that he puts the right things into his body.
A topic of discussion in Arizona last season was the connection between Harrison and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who said in September that it's "not my job" to feed one receiver. Despite Arizona's lack of significant receiving threats, Harrison had only three games with double-digit targets in 2024 and caught five or more passes in just seven of the 17 games he played.
The quarterback and receiver have spent more time together this offseason, aiming to develop better chemistry to achieve greater success on game days.
"Obviously, right now, everything's on air," Harrison said. "So, getting the timing down, being precise in everything that we do. I feel like we should go out there with our eyes closed and be able to complete 100 percent of our passage is kind of the goal that you want to be to get to, just from a timing on air standpoint."
Although Harrison knows he can improve individually, his focus is less on himself and his performance and more on how he can help the team.
The Cardinals finished third in the NFC West with an 8-9 record in 2024, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season and the eighth time in the last nine years. Harrison had a close-up view of the postseason when the Los Angeles Rams had to relocate their first-round playoff game to State Farm Stadium due to the wildfires in LA.
Follow Patrick Murphy on Twitter and Instagram for more Ohio State coverage
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now!
Having experienced both personal and team success at Ohio State, Harrison aims to bring more wins to Arizona this season.
"I think you've got to make the playoffs," Harrison said. "I think this is the year that I feel like we want to do what we need to do. We have all the pieces we need. We've just gotta go out there and execute at this point. That's why they brought me here to help his team win games. So, improvement for me looks like winning more games than we won last year… I think definitely next year, we need to win more games. I want to get a home playoff game for Arizona. I actually went to the game with the Rams and Vikings. It was just like, there's a team playing in the playoffs in our building. I just didn't feel right. So they brought me here to help the team win games, and I'm going to try to do it."