Ohio State football: Is Zach Harrison returning?

When 2022 NFL mock drafts began appearing almost as soon as this year ended, you could not find one that didn’t list Ohio State football player Zach Harrison as a first-round pick. Now you can’t find one that still has him going in the first round. Because his stock has obviously dropped, will Harrison return for another season with the Buckeyes?

When you consider his 2021 season, it doesn’t exactly scream “FIRST ROUNDER!!” He had just four sacks, seven tackles-for-loss, and only two quarterback hurries. First-round defensive ends are a disruption nearly every time an opponent tries to throw the ball.

All too often, Harrison wasn’t disruptive. Every now and then he would flash those physical skills and athletic ability. Every now and then is not nearly enough to make you a first-round draft choice. How far has he slipped in the opinion of some? Ourlad’s NFL Draft Preview has him as only their eleventh defensive end. That puts him in the middle rounds of the Draft.

Harrison’s answers to an interview done with Bucknuts is what may provide real insight into his intentions. He said he still has things he wants to achieve and that will definitely play into his decision. I mentioned earlier that he wasn’t a problem often enough for opposing offenses, Harrison knows he needs to improve his consistency,

"“That’s probably my biggest thing. Always being the dominant player I know I can be. That’s probably the biggest thing for me is making sure I’m that player on every single snap in every single game.”"

What will be the biggest factor in his decision to stay or go? New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Harrison is very interested to hear how this new defense works and what is done with the defensive ends. One thing Knowles does with his ends is to have them rush from a standing position. Harrison likes the idea,

"“I feel like I can do that. I feel like just being able to ‘go’ will suit my skill set a lot.”"

Make no mistake, Harrison does have a skillset. He’s 6’6”, 272 pounds, fast enough to chase down plays across the field, and athletic enough to drop into pass coverage and be effective. He hasn’t yet used those to become the dominant player everyone was expecting when he was a five-star recruit. The hope is he stays and flourishes in Knowles’ defense.

If you’re looking for a prediction, here it is: I think he’ll be back with the Ohio State football team. Considering the physical skills he possesses, he could easily put himself back into the first round with a good 2022 season. Look for an announcement sometime in the first week of January.