Former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has revealed the main problem for Marvin Harrison Jr. amid his struggles with the Arizona Cardinals.
When Marvin Harrison Jr. departed the Ohio State Buckeyes to declare for the NFL Draft in 2024, he was viewed by many as a can't-miss prospect. And how could he not be perceived in that manner?
Harrison had everything you would ever want from a No. 1 wide receiver. Great size. Blazing speed. Terrific hands. Amazing route-running ability. Plus, he was very unselfish, a quality that many top receivers are guilty of not possessing.
So when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the fourth overall pick last year, it seemed like only a matter of time before he and Kyler Murray would develop into quite the lethal tandem, right?
Well, it has not exactly worked out that way for Harrison.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images.The Ohio State product endured a relatively tame rookie campaign, catching 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. He also managed a catch rate of just 53.8 percent.
Then, this year, Harrison looked even worse the first three games, as evidenced by his litany of drops against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3, one of which was particularly egregious and cost the Cardinals a potential game-winning touchdown.
Fellow Buckeyes alum Emeka Egbuka — who is off to a phenomenal start during his debut campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — recently made an appearance on the Up & Adams Show and was asked about Harrison. Egbuka thinks his former teammate will be just fine and explained what he feels is going on with the 23-year-old.
"The yips are a real thing. They happen from time to time," Egbuka said. "I've had them myself. But, there is absolutely no worry there. He is one of the most talented individuals I've had the pleasure of working with, and the sky is the limit for him."
The good news is that Harrison had a much better performance against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, logging six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Harrison has totaled 16 catches for 208 yards and a couple of scores thus far in 2025, with his best performance coming in Week 1 when he snared five balls for 71 yards and a touchdown in a win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Philadelphia native posted back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns to conclude his career in Columbus, so we know he has the talent to dominate. We will see if he can shake off his struggles as his sophomore NFL season progresses.