Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman odds: Can Ohio State star win the award as a wide receiver dark horse?

Crissy Froyd

Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman odds: Can Ohio State star win the award as a wide receiver dark horse? image

Let's face it, the Heisman Trophy is typically a quarterback-friendly award. But if there is any other player from another position who could potentially take the honors home, it is Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

He's not the odds-on favorite, but has a very real opportunity to surge ahead if he performs well in the upcoming contest against the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines.

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Harrison has been nothing short of impressive, scoring a touchdown in all but two of his games this season.

Here's a deeper look into just where Harrison Jr. stands in the race.

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Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman Trophy odds

According to BETMGM, Harrison's current Heisman odds stand at +3000. Those odds rank fourth overall in the latest standings.

Marvin Harrison Jr. stats

It's rare when the Harrison does not make his way to the end zone for the Buckeyes -- there's a reason he is seen as one of Ohio State's most reliable players on that side of the football.

In four games this season, he's score two touchdowns or more. His strongest performance was on Nov. 11 in the 38-3 win over Michigan State as Harrison reeled in seven catches for 149 yards with two receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

Category Stat
Receptions 62
Receiving yards 1,093
Receiving touchdowns 13
Carries 2
Rushing yards 26
Rushing touchdowns 1

While Harrison may not be a quarterback with a fairytale transfer portal story that proves sometimes the grass truly is greener like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix have, he's certainly shown the level of talent to be in the legitimate conversation for the award.

Has a wide receiver ever won the Heisman Trophy?

The Heisman Trophy usually goes to a player at the quarterback or the running back position, as history illustrates. Three wide receivers have won the award, though.

Those include Tim Brown (1987), Desmond Howard (1991), and DeVonta Smith (2020).

Heisman Trophy odds 2023

Here's a look at where the top 10 players currently stand in the Heisman race, according to BETMGM.

Player School Odds
Bo Nix Oregon  +110
Jayden Daniels LSU +140
Michael Penix Jr. Washington +500
Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State +3000
Carson Beck Georgia +3300
Jalen Milroe Alabama +12500
Caleb Williams  USC +25000
Kyle McCord Ohio State +25000
JJ McCarthy Michigan +25000
Blake Corum Michigan +25000
Ollie Gordon III Oklahom State +25000

 

Crissy Froyd

Crissy Froyd Photo

Crissy Froyd is a content producer at The Sporting News covering college football, the NFL and other sports. A graduate of LSU in 2021, she has nine years' experience writing about football across all levels, specializing in quarterback analysis and the NFL Draft. Her work previously appeared in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports, among other outlets.