2023 Heisman Trophy odds: Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. taking big money to become first Buckeyes receiver to win award

Just as receivers don't win the NFL MVP Award – it's never been done – they also generally don't win the Heisman Trophy. Only a single wideout has done so since 1992. However, no player is taking more action to win the 2023 Heisman than Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.,son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer, who is priced +2000 at BetMGM. A Buckeye has won college football's biggest individual award a record-tying seven times, but none of them were receivers.

Some pretty incredible receivers have played in Columbus over the years -- many consider it Wide Receiver U right now because of the stellar recruiting skills of receivers coach Brian Hartline -- and Harrison might be the most talented of them all.

In 2021 as a freshman, Harrison only had 11 catches because he was on one of the most talented rosters in NCAA history behind future first-round picks Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson (2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year). Smith-Njigba returned last season and was supposed to be the alpha dog but barely played due to injury, and Harrison quickly became quarterback CJ Stroud's top target.

As a sophomore, Harrison became Ohio State's first unanimous All-American receiver and was the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year after catching 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. His reception and yardage totals were fourth all-time at Ohio State for a single season, and his TD total tied for second with David Boston (1997), trailing only Terry Glenn's 17 in 1995. Harrison ranked second nationally in 2022 with 52 catches of 10 or more yards and ranked sixth with six 40 or more yard receptions.

He came up biggest when it mattered most, as Harrison totaled 33 receptions for 538 yards and six TDs in five games vs. ranked opponents (vs. No. 11 Utah, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 13 Penn State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 1 Georgia). Many people think Ohio State would have beaten Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal if Harrison hand't left the game hurt late in the third quarter (I agree). He had terrorized the Bulldogs for two TDs to that point, and the Buckeyes blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead without Harrison.

"I think we go on to win that game against Georgia and I like our chances in the national championship," he said.

BetOnline, an offshore book, actually offers Over/Under season totals for Harrison: 1,100.5 yards and 12 TDs. Those numbers will not win a Heisman Trophy. It's going to take something historic for a receiver. The last WR to win the Heisman was Alabama's DeVonta Smith in 2020 and he had 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 TDs, although that included two playoff games.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams, last year's winner, is the +500 Heisman favorite, but Harrison has the shortest odds of any non-QB and is No. 1 in Heisman tickets sold at BetMGM with 8.7%. Williams is second at 7.2%. Williams is also the -500 favorite to be picked first in the 2024 NFL Draft. Harrison is a +1500 third favorite. Even though receivers are more important than ever in the NFL, we haven't seen one be chosen first overall since USC's Keyshawn Johnson went first in 1996 to the Jets.

Ohio State opens on Sept. 2 at Indiana (on CBS), currently a 27.5-point favorite. OSU's starting QB is still TBA with Stroud now a member of the Houston Texans. Last year, the Buckeyes routed the Hoosiers 56-14. Harrison caught seven passes for 135 yards and a TD.

That's another thing working against him this year: Ohio State figures to blow plenty of teams out, and Harrison may not play a handful of fourth quarters, for example. 

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