Zach Harrison knows he is running out of time to become the player he’s always aspired to be at Ohio State.
When Harrison arrived at Ohio State as a five-star recruit in 2019, many people thought he would already be in the NFL by now. In his first three seasons as a Buckeye, however, Harrison has not yet become the consistent difference-maker that former five-star Ohio State defensive ends like Chase Young and the Bosa brothers were before him. As such, Harrison opted to stay at Ohio State for his senior year to try and become the player he’s long been expected to be and improve his NFL draft stock.
Because the NCAA gave all players a free year of eligibility in 2020, Harrison could stay at Ohio State for two more years if he wanted to. But Harrison is approaching this season like it will be his last, which gives him added motivation to step up his game this fall.
“This is my last chance,” Harrison said Tuesday. “So why not just really, really give everything? Because I said before, I was gonna do everything, but I didn't really know what that meant all the way. And so now that I'm the older guy in the room and I got guys behind me who is looking up to me to set the standard, I feel like all right, now finally I'm like, I got to cross all my t's and dot my i’s to make sure I leave Ohio State with everything I came to get.”
While Harrison has been a regular in Ohio State’s defensive end rotation for all of his first three seasons as a Buckeye, he hasn’t made a ton of big plays, recording only 9.5 total sacks and 17.5 total tackles for loss in 33 games.
He’s determined to change that this year.
“I'm trying to be a game-changer,” Harrison said. “I’m trying to be one of those players that they circle on the scouting report. So I'm just trying to get better every day and take it day by day and improve my skill set.”
Going into the past two seasons, Harrison was the Ohio State defensive end receiving most of the hype as the potential breakout star of the Rushmen. Entering this season, most of that hype is going toward sophomore defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, leaving Harrison to be somewhat overshadowed in terms of preseason attention from local media and fans.
Harrison says he isn’t letting that bother him, as he’s focusing on working at his craft rather than on what people are saying about him.
“Personally, last year, I'm not gonna lie, I paid a lot of attention to you guys. And what you guys said and what the media wrote and the fans was saying about me,” Harrison said while meeting with reporters. “And now it's kind of like, I'm just going out there to play and play my hardest and just go get what I came to get. And everything else is kind of, I won’t say irrelevant, but it doesn't affect me and how I play on the field, so why give any attention to it? Just go get in my playbook, watch my film and hopefully go ball on Saturdays.”
Harrison believes that a change in mindset will lead to better performance on the field this season.
“I feel like I'm playing a lot looser,” Harrison said. “Just a lot more free. Just going out there and playing football, the game I’ve been playing since I was a kid. I’m not thinking too much about, ‘Oh, I gotta get this game if I want to go to the draft.’ No, I'm just going out there and playing. And I feel like, with that mindset, I can go out there and play my best football and put me in the position that I want to be in.”
“I'm trying to be a game-changer. I’m trying to be one of those players that they circle on the scouting report.”– Zach Harrison on his goals for his senior year
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson is already seeing Harrison’s adjusted approach pay off.
“When you start worrying about the expectations of other people, rather than your expectations as a player, that's where you get lost,” Johnson said. “I tell him all the time, ‘Every time somebody throws a brick, you're building the foundation to be better, right?’ And that's what he's doing. He’s learning how to build a foundation with those same bricks.
“People say he's got to be this, he's got to be that, but I think he's in a good place right now. (Better) than he's been in before. He's in a really good spot. He's worked extremely hard to be where he understands what the big picture’s all about. So now it's just a matter of going out and doing it.”
Although Harrison was elected as one of Ohio State’s six captains last season, he was not among the six Buckeyes chosen by the team to be a captain this year, with fellow defensive end Tyler Friday now representing the defensive line among the captains. Nonetheless, Harrison says he’ll still work just as hard to be a leader for the Buckeyes.
“I always say that they're not captains because they were voted captains if that makes sense. They’re captains because they embody leadership of the program,” Harrison said. “And I feel like just because my name wasn’t voted captain, I won’t have the C on my shirt doesn't mean that I'm not still a leader of the program. And I know the guys are still looking up to me. And so I have to maintain that standard regardless of if I’m a captain or not.”
Tuimoloau was among the defensive linemen who confirmed Tuesday they still view Harrison as one of the team’s top leaders.
“Zach’s been through it,” Tuimoloau said. “He's a veteran here. So whatever questions I have, I always go to him.”
Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams also expects Harrison to be a leader for the Buckeyes both on and off the field.
“Zach, since I've got here, has been one of the guys that's stayed on me, like pushing me to keep going, keep going,” Williams said. “He never lets me be below average. We work out together, pushing me to do great things. And on the field, Zach is gonna be Zach. Long, lengthy. Athletic. He chases down the ball fast. Gonna be a great player.”
It’s clear that anything less than a standout season in 2022 will disappoint Harrison as he looks to finish his Ohio State career strong. Still, he didn’t want to publicize any statistical goals for this season. Harrison gave a simple two-word response when asked what he expects from himself this year.
“Big things,” Harrison said.
