There aren't many high school football players in the country with loftier expectations than Jett Harrison.
The Harrison name is well known. Former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award in his final season with the Buckeyes, was a Heisman Trophy finalist and the fourth overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. His father, former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
And in two years, Jett Harrison, who is verbally committed to Ohio State, will take his football journey to the college level. But besides the name, what makes Jett Harrison such a coveted prospect?
"He's an extremely special talent," said Tom Sugden, the offensive coordinator at St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia who has run the offenses involving both Harrison brothers.
According to 247Sports, Jett Harrison is a five-star prospect and the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2028 recruiting class behind Brysen Wright, an undeclared wide receiver out of Jacksonville, Florida. Marvin Harrison Jr. was a four-star recruit.
"I think Jett has an opportunity to be as good as anyone who's walked those halls in Columbus," Sugden said.
Through two years of high school, Jett Harrison has produced. He ascended to the role of No. 1 passing option in his freshman season, and as a sophomore, he shattered the school's single-season receiving touchdown record – previously held by his brother.
Marvin Harrison Jr., now with the Arizona Cardinals, does not dispute the idea that his younger sibling has incredible upside.
"Jett is obviously a lot more talented than I ever was at his age," Harrison Jr. said during a press conference on Aug. 17. "I think what really sets us apart too is the mentality that we have. I just love the confidence he has in himself. He feels he can do anything in this world and I love that about him."
“Jett is obviously a lot more talented than I ever was at his age.”
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) August 17, 2026
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a proud older brother. His younger brother Jett is committed to Ohio State and signed with New Balance. pic.twitter.com/c58iRxRFws
St. Joseph's has produced plenty of college football-ready talent over the past decade, including Harrison Jr., former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift, and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zacchaeus. Ohio State sophomore running back Isaiah West is a St. Joseph's alum. Jett Harrison, however, is one of the most talked-about prospects to walk through the school's doors.
"I would say up there with the best we've ever had, and maybe the best I've ever seen," Sugden said. "... Truly something special at this age. He's just so advanced."
Sugden and St. Joseph's head coach Tim Roken, who took over the program in 2019, met Jett Harrison when Marvin Harrison Jr. transferred to the school for his sophomore season. While Marvin Harrison Jr. played, Jett Harrison watched excitedly from the sidelines.
"[Jett] was running around, kind of like the ball boy, at different times in practice, or pregame and things like that," Roken said. " ... It's been great to now watch him grow up into the young man that he is. His commitment to excellence is very similar to how his brother approached the game."
When Jett Harrison arrived at St. Joseph's, the plan initially was to ease him in, but Harrison's progress during summer workouts ahead of his first season shocked Sugden.
"You're almost trying to talk yourself out of having to rely on a freshman as much as we were planning on," Sugden said.
Harrison was less experienced than the opposing defensive backs he faced, many of whom were 18 years old, but from the start, Harrison's speed and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage looked mature. He began settling into the offense and catching opposing defenses by surprise. His talent was too good to subdue.
In an early game against a rival, St. Joseph's entrusted Harrison versus a man-to-man defense. Harrison ran a go route, flew past a defensive back, caught the ball near the 50-yard line and won the footrace to the end zone for a 99-yard touchdown.
"We got away with it freshman year," Sugden said. "He's a freshman, whatever. And then people didn't realize it until, 'Oh, [expletive], he just ran by us.' "
Harrison finished his freshman season with 10 touchdowns, helping the Hawks reach their third straight state championship game, which they won 35-6 over Central Catholic.
Roken and Sugden believe the Harrison brothers share an impressive catch radius. There are multiple video clips of Jett making one-handed grabs, leaping catches and acrobatic moves among his sophomore-season highlights on his 247Sports' recruiting profile. And Sugden thinks the two are also both "technicians" with a full understanding of the game.
"They just have a good feel for football," Sugden said. "[Football] IQ is through the roof."
There are differences, though. Sugden described Marvin Harrison Jr.'s early route running as "smooth" and "effortless," making it almost look like he's gliding. Jett Harrison tends to be less fluid; instead, he will "attack" his routes, with speed and change of direction creating the separation for him.
"Everything is like [Jett] is being shot out of a cannon," he said. "And he's going to put the fear of God in you that he's going to run right by you, and then he's going to break you off on a dig, or break you off on an out, or do the comeback, or hit you on a double move. Whatever it may be, he's going to attack."
Sugden believes that the 6-foot-1 Jett Harrison will be around 190 pounds by the time his junior season begins. When Marvin Harrison, Jr. was a prospect in 2019, he was listed at 6-4 and 184 pounds.
According to Sugden, Jett Harrison finished his sophomore season with 50 catches for 849 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, setting the new mark for most receiving touchdowns in a season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. caught 19 touchdown passes over 16 games during his junior year in 2019 when St. Joseph's won another 6A state championship. St. Joseph's did not make the playoffs last year, so Jett beat his brother's record while playing in only 10 games.
In one of the Hawks' losses during their 5-5 season, Jett caught four touchdown passes against St. Frances Academy, a powerhouse based in Baltimore that is the top program in USA TODAY Sports East Region. For his fourth touchdown, he caught a ball over two defenders and ran 47 yards to the end zone.
"He made special players look like pedestrians," Sugden said.
Aside from physical traits and a natural feel for the receiver role, the Harrison brothers share an intense competitiveness.
"Him and his brother, you feel like they're running routes sometimes when they're walking down the hallways," Roken said. "They're working on releases on people in hallways, they're walking with a smile. Just overall, great kids, both of them."
The brothers compete with each other, as well. In fact, on Aug. 3, Jett signed an NIL deal with New Balance, and the announcement video featured Jett and Marvin Jr. dueling to catch footballs from a machine operated by their father.
"I just try to do my part, being his big brother, just steer him down the right path, and I always emphasize the work ethic," Marvin Harrison Jr. said. "Everything that is coming his way in the future, I'm just so proud and excited for him, not only as a football player but as a sibling of mine. I mean, I could talk all day about my brother Jett. I really do love him so much, so I just try to support him as much as I can."
NEW: Ohio State 5-star WR commit Jett Harrison has signed an NIL deal with New Balance🌰
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) August 5, 2026
Harrison is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2028 Rivals300. https://t.co/JNodCDvyzn pic.twitter.com/fPxLg9Yfga
Jett still has two years of high school left in which he can fill out his frame and improve his technique before college. Roken is impressed but not surprised by the immense dedication Jett has for the weight room, often leading by example.
The work ethic gene seems to run in the family. Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline told The Dispatch in 2024 that Marvin Harrison Jr. had an "uncommon maturity" when he scouted him as a 16-year-old.
When it comes to Jett Harrison handling the hype coming his way, Roken said the youngest Harrison's humility has shone.
"The kids look up to him so much. ... He's coaching them up," Roken said. "He's engaging with them. Obviously, everybody wants a picture with him. Everybody wants to see him, but he's handled it really well."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jett Harrison, OSU WR commit, is breaking his older brother's records
