77 days until Notre Dame football: Marvin Harrison Jr., the Irish’s toughest task
BlueandGold.com will release a countdown article highlighting a significant Fighting Irish football statistic every day until the 2023 Notre Dame season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 26. Today, there are 77 days until the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen kick off at Aviva Stadium.
When Notre Dame first saw Marvin Harrison Jr., some knew him as an intriguing sophomore receiver, but most just knew him as Marvin Harrison’s son. Now… things have changed.
The Fighting Irish allowed Harrison only five catches for 56 yards in last year’s season-opener. As the season went on, games like that became more and more rare. Harrison finished his sophomore season with 77 receptions, 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He is the best receiver in college football, and Notre Dame faces him for a second time in September. After watching all 77 of those receptions, here are a few notes on what makes Harrison so good.
So quick and smooth for his size
Harrison, at 6-foot-4, is very tall and quite fast. You might read that and think of someone like D.K. Metcalf, who is tall and fast but can’t really change direction. The difference is that Harrison moves as smoothly, changes direction as quickly and has as much body control as an elite NFL receiver who is 6-foot-1.
Put it this way: Imagine if Justin Jefferson was three inches taller.
The cuts he makes when he runs routes are lethal, but he makes them look so effortless, which means he can disguise them. He gets up and down the field so quickly before and after the catch, but again, it almost looks like he’s gliding on the grass. He can go up and get it, go down and get it and always seems to contort his body the exact way he needs to in order to reel in any pass.
This combination of skills makes him nearly impossible to guard one-on-one. Notre Dame can’t use the sideline as its friend, either — Harrison has some of the most ridiculous toe-tapping ability I’ve ever seen.
Wildly soft hands
Length, as a receiver, is only useful if you have the hands to back it up. And my goodness, does Harrison have the hands to back it up. He can fully extend his arms, blanketed by multiple defenders, and the ball will just settle in his grasp.
Harrison’s drop percentage of 3.8, per PFF, was No. 94 out of 112 receivers with over 80 targets. He did not drop his first pass of the season until Nov. 26 against Michigan. His contested catch rate of 60% (18 of 30) ranked No. 15.
Watching his tape, you might see that Harrison makes a “hands” catch rather than a “body” catch almost every time he can. You will never see him unnecessarily jump to fit a ball into his chest, like you see with some receivers, and that greatly helps him pick up yards after the catch.
Incredible feel for the game
Let’s go back to that toe-tapping ability of Harrison’s. A lot of it has to do with his smoothness and body control. But if you watch closely, you’ll notice that Harrison never looks at the ground when he makes those catches, yet he still gets his feet down every time.
The point here is that he knows exactly where he is on the field at all times. Not just in relation to the sideline, but to zone defenders as well. Even against Notre Dame, Harrison showed how well he can find soft spots in the zone and settle in those gaps, positioning himself in a spot that makes it easy for his quarterback to fit the throw.
That, perhaps more than anything else, makes Harrison a quarterback’s best friend.
When Notre Dame goes up against Ohio State this season, it will face one of the best receiver prospects football has ever seen. Benjamin Morrison and company will face their biggest challenge Sept. 23.
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