Former Buckeye QB CJ Stroud Defends His New Teammate, Marvin Harrison Jr.

One of the best things to happen in the NFL this year is the reunion of Ohio State teammates CJ Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Together at Ohio State, those two created one of the best quaterback and wide receiver combinations in the country and one of the more historic ones. They only got one season together, but it was a special one, and it created a trajectory for both of them that would take them to where they are in the NFL.

For Stroud, it led to him becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Houston Texans. Immediately, he made an impact, leading the Texans to a little Playoff run in his rookie season. It ultimately came up a little bit short, but he got the Texans into the dance and since then has been a little bit up and down. With that said, he is playing some of the best football in the entire league this year, even though the Texans are just 2-4.

It was a little bit of a different story for Harrison Jr. Marvin was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. His rookie season was really solid when he had 885 yards and eight touchdowns in that campaign. Then, it has been a steady decline since.

In year two, he appeared in just 12 games for the Cardinals, registering just over 600 receiving yards and four touchdowns. That takes us to this season, where Harrison just never got going. In his four games with the Cardinals, he had just five catches for 85 yards.

His relationship with the Cardinals soured, and it needed a change. Stroud and the Texans came calling, and all of a sudden, Harrison was on the move. In his first game across the pond in London, he already hauled in three catches from his former teammate.

After the game, Stroud was asked about Harrison Jr. and what his perspective is on his entire situation. Stroud, as he has now been known to do, had a very well-thought-out and complete response. 

He said that people shouldn't judge anything about someone without knowing the situation. He pushed back on the idea that Harrison Jr. hated things in Arizona and was having a tough time. He even took the contrary stance, saying that Marvin loved it there; it was just time for a change.

Hopefully for the former Buckeyes', they can find that magic that led them to Harrison's career highs in catches (77), yards (1263), and touchdowns (14). They were special in Columbus and hopefully they can be equally as special in Houston.