Ryan Day is not losing out on legacy prospects, especially this one. Jett Harrison’s recruitment felt almost inevitable from the moment the offer got out. It didn’t matter even if plenty of college football powerhouses tried to change the ending. After all, when your last name is Harrison and you’re a 5-star receiver, Ohio State is a place where family history and WR greatness have already become intertwined. Just ask his brother Marvin.
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As Hayes Fawcett reported on July 1, Jett Harrison committed to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, picking Ohio State over Oregon, Miami, and several other national powers. The Philadelphia native is Rivals’ No. 1 overall player in the 2028 class, while ESPN ranks him No. 6 nationally.
Jett Harrison visited Ohio State twice in June but also made trips to Oregon and Miami while drawing attention from Alabama, Texas A&M and USC. This stings especially for the Ducks who pushed hard throughout the process. Despite the early commitment, Dan Lanning and co. may not completely back away. But in the end, the Buckeye family ties proved impossible to beat.
Jett Harrison is the son of Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison Sr., who spent all 13 NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, won Super Bowl XLI, earned eight Pro Bowl selections, and once held the NFL’s single-season receptions record with 143 catches. His football resume already speaks for itself, but the family legacy didn’t stop there.
BREAKING: Five-Star WR Jett Harrison has Committed to Ohio State, he tells me for @Rivals The No. 1 Recruit in the 2028 Rivals300 chose the Buckeyes over Oregon and Miami He’s the brother of NFL WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and son of Hall of Famer Marvin Sr. on3.com/rivals/jett-ha…
There’s another popular name in recent Ohio State history. Jett Harrison is also the younger brother of former superstar Marvin Harrison Jr., whose career in Columbus ended with 155 receptions, 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns. A two-time unanimous All-American and the 2023 Biletnikoff Award winner, he became the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So yes, Ryan Day’s program always looked like the favorite.
Rivals director of scouting Charles Power didn’t hold back while evaluating the younger Harrison.
“I think Jett Harrison’s combination of ball skills and route running ability is elite at this stage,” he said. “He really comes down with ridiculous catches at a high rate. He looks to have a massive catch radius along with the ability to create constant separation with advanced route running.”
Jett announced himself as a freshman All-American at Philadelphia’s St. Joseph’s Prep before catching 10 touchdown passes during his sophomore season. Ohio State offered him early, and that investment has now paid off. His commitment also says plenty about where Ryan Day’s recruiting machine stands.
But things will be a bit different for the younger brother as Marvin had the benefit of being coached under the wide receiver whisperer, Brian Hartline. Instead, he would be learning under Arthur Smith whose love for using the run game combined with heavy tight ends stands in stark contrast. Despite that, Jett would be sitting behind Jeremiah and that would give him plenty to watch and learn.
This kind of legacy commitment is not new for Ryan Day. Sonny and Lorenzo Styles Jr. were the sons of former Ohio State linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr., who played for the Buckeyes in the early 1990s before winning a Super Bowl in the NFL. Sonny Styles committed as a 5-star hybrid safety/linebacker recruit. His older brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., originally signed with Notre Dame as a wide receiver but transferred back home to Ohio State to play cornerback alongside his brother.
Defensive lineman Will Smith Jr. is the son of the late, legendary Ohio State defensive lineman Will Smith Sr., who was a captain on the 2002 National Championship team and a first-round NFL draft pick. Will Smith Jr. chose to follow his father’s defensive path exactly, signing with the Buckeyes out of Dublin, Ohio. He has been a critical component of Ohio State’s interior defensive line rotation.
Ohio State’s WR factory keeps rolling
Ohio State has built a reputation few schools can match when it comes to producing elite receivers, and Jett Harrison fits perfectly into that assembly line. Even with current stars eventually heading to the NFL, the Buckeyes continue stacking elite talent. Jeremiah Smith is widely expected to enter the 2027 NFL Draft but Ryan Day already signed 5-star Chris Henry Jr. in the 2026 class, secured 5-star Jamier Brown for 2027, and now adds another 5-star to the 2028 group.
If Jett Harrison signs as expected, Ohio State will have landed at least one 5-star WR in six back-to-back recruiting classes. That’s building an identity. For Oregon, the loss isn’t devastating. The Ducks already have 5-star Dakota Guerrant committed and remain heavily involved with 5-star Xavier Sabb, along with other elite 2028 receivers. But Wednesday belonged to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State kept one of football’s most recognizable family legacies right where most people suspected it would stay. Now, Jett Harrison has the chance to write his own chapter in Columbus.