'It's just the way he is.' Marvin Harrison Jr. works with JUGS machine at Ohio State hotel

Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
7

Marvin Harrison Jr.'s love of the JUGS machine didn't stop when he traded the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for an Atlanta hotel.

Ahead of Ohio State football's College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl against Georgia, coach Ryan Day complimented the sophomore receiver's work ethic, calling him one of the hardest workers on his roster.

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And that continued in the middle of the night from a hotel meeting room.

"I think he had (the JUGS machine) going in the hotel somewhere this week," Day said. "it's just the way he is."

When Day thinks about Harrison, that work ethic is nothing new. It's something he's shown throughout the 2022 campaign.

"There was a point during the season where there was only a few of us — I think it was around midnight — and someone said to me, 'There's only a few people in the building, coach: you, a couple of the assistants and Marvin is in there,'" Day said. "I told him, 'Get Marvin home. He needs to get some rest.' But that's just the way he is. Again, that's what makes him special."

Dec 29, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) warms up during a team practice for the Peach Bowl game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Dec 29, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) warms up during a team practice for the Peach Bowl game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Heading into his offseason, Harrison showed off his speed against the JUGS machine, racing one and securing a 40-yard pass in a video lasting seven seconds.

And the day after a two-touchdown performance against Toledo, Harrison was seen on wide receiver coach Brian Hartline's Instagram story drilling with the JUGS machine with the caption "Sunday Funday."

Harrison, Ohio State's first unanimous All-American receiver, comes into Saturday's Peach Bowl as the main weapon in the Buckeyes' pass game, securing 72 receptions for 1,157 yards — one of two 1,000-yard receivers on the roster, along with Emeka Egbuka — and 12 touchdowns.

Harrison and the Ohio State passing game is set to face Georgia's pass defense, which is the 49th best in the country, allowing 215.1 passing yards per game, but only 6.16 yards per attempt.

Ohio State football's 2022 schedule

Georgia football's 2022 schedule

  • Sept. 3: Georgia 49, Oregon 3

  • Sept. 10: Georgia 33, Samford 0

  • Sept. 17: Georgia 48, South Carolina 7

  • Sept. 24: Georgia 39, Kent State 22

  • Oct. 1: Georgia 26, Missouri 22

  • Oct. 8: Georgia 42, Auburn 10

  • Oct. 15: Georgia 55, Vanderbilt 0

  • Oct. 29: Georgia 42, Florida 20

  • Nov. 5: Georgia 27, Tennessee 13

  • Nov. 12: Georgia 45, Mississippi 19

  • Nov. 19: Georgia 16, Kentucky 6

  • Nov. 26: Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 14

  • Dec. 3: Georgia 50, LSU 30

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Marvin Harrison Jr. works with JUGS machine at OSU hotel ahead of Peach Bowl