Ready to leave Columbus, OSU DE Harrison eager for next chapter
INDIANAPOLIS – In two months, Zach Harrison will move away from the Columbus area for the first time.
After blossoming into a five-star prospect at Olentangy Orange and playing four years for Ohio State, the defensive end is eager to begin his NFL career.
“I'm excited,” he said at the NFL combine. “Just something new. I love Columbus. It's always going to have a special place in my heart because it's home. But I'm ready to spread my wings and get away from home and plant my roots somewhere else.”
It's not easy for an elite hometown prospect to play in the pressure cooker that is Ohio State.
Harrison had his struggles early in his Buckeye career before blossoming in his final two years, even if he didn't light up the stats sheet. In 40 games, he had 97 tackles – 24 for losses − and 11 sacks.
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“Obviously, you want to have double-digit sack seasons and things like that, but you've got to realize there are other ways to affect the game, and I feel that I did that well,” Harrison said.
Two of his sacks came at the end of the surprisingly tough Maryland game last season, the second of which caused a fumble for a touchdown to clinch the Buckeyes' victory.
Zach Harrison's achievements
He said his proudest achievement was being named a captain by teammates as a junior.
“That's something I'm going to have on my resume for the rest of my life,” Harrison said. “That was voted on by my peers. I'm really honored to be able to do that. Just all my time at Ohio State, I loved every second of it, the whole journey.”
His OSU career wasn't without disappointment. The Buckeyes fell short of the Big Ten title the past two years after losing to Michigan. Ohio State's quest for a national championship last season ended with a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal. On the first play of Georgia's game-winning drive, Harrison beat his man around the edge and was just inches and a split second away from knocking the ball free from quarterback Stetson Bennett.
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“I don't like to live in the past and live off what-ifs, but I was close,” he said, “and that would have been a huge play to be able to close the game out like that.”
Harrison is 6 feet 5½ and 274 pounds with 36½-inch arms and rare speed for someone his size. He was expected to showcase that speed in the 40-yard dash on Thursday, but the NFL Network reported that a slight hamstring strain caused him to decide not to do any drills at the combine.
Harrison also has an engaging personality that he wants to show teams in interviews.
“I've played a lot of football at Ohio State, so a lot of teams know my athletic profile and what I can do on the field,” he said. “I just want to let teams know the person I am.”
Harrison decided not to enter the NFL draft a year ago. He said he knew he wasn't ready then.
“I realized, 'OK, this is how I have to take care of my body. This is how I've got to watch film. This is how I've got to hydrate,' ” he said. “All the little things that you might not see or you might not think of as important, but these are all crucial to me being the best player. I have those skills now.”
Harrison is generally projected as a Day 2 pick in the second or third rounds. An impressive combine could give him a major boost.
“I'm so excited about the player that I am today,” Harrison said. “Being at the combine and being one of the top guys in the defensive line class, and just knowing that I have so much room to improve, and I hope that I get to tap into that.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football's Zach Harrison ready to spread wings in the NFL
