Harrison on CFB Hall of Fame Ballot

Orange and NFL legend Marvin Harrison is on this year's College Football Hall of Fame ballot.

Harrison looks to become the latest former Orange star to be enshrined in Atlanta's College Football Hall of Fame, after Dwight Freeney earned the honor last year. Freeney became the 19th former 'Cuse great to be named into the College Football Hall of Fame last year.

Harrison, already one-of-nine former 'Cuse players represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was a First Team All-American in 1995 as a kick returner and the 1995 BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year. He was a three-time All-BIG EAST selection and was Syracuse's all-time receiving yards leader until 2017 (2,728), until being bested by Steve Ishmael.

Harrison still sits No. 2 on the Orange's yardage list, has the seventh-most receptions in school history (135) and is one-of-three players in program history to record 20+ receiving touchdowns.

In his final season at Syracuse, he and freshman quarterback Donovan McNabb combined to ignite the Orange to a top-20 finish. Harrison set a then school single-season record with 1,131 receiving yards, propelled by six 100-yard games. The team finished 9-3, capped by a 41-0 victory over Clemson in the 1996 Gator Bowl. In that game, Harrison set SU bowl records for receptions (7) and receiving yards (173). The yards record still stands, but the receptions mark was bested by LeQuint Allen's 11 catches in the 2022 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

"It's an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hall's requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today's elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year."

He'd go on to be selected 19th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he'd spend the entirety of his 13-year NFL career. Harrison won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts, was an eight-time All-Pro selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006), including earning First Team designation in 1999, 2002 and 2006. He participated in eight Pro Bowls, led the NFL twice in both receiving yards (1999, 2002) and receptions (2000, 2002) and still ranks in the top-five all time of career receptions (1,102) and touchdowns (128) and top-10 in receiving yards (14,580).

Syracuse will now have the seventh-most Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees of any school, including Freeney's official induction this summer. The Orange are one-of-six programs in college football history to have at least 19 College Football Hall of Famers and nine Pro Football Hall of Famers, joining Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Ohio State and Pittsburgh.

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

LeQuint Allen

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