Some connections never really go away. On Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium in London, Marvin Harrison Jr. is set to make his Houston Texans debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with kickoff at 9:30 a.m. ET.[1] The quarterback throwing to him is a familiar one: C.J. Stroud, his old teammate at Ohio State.
The road from Columbus to London has been a winding one. For both players, this reunion comes at a moment when each could use a fresh start.
The trade
Arizona made the deal official on Monday, Oct. 12. The final terms sent Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round pick to Houston for 2027 second- and seventh-round picks.[2] Early reports had the two late-round picks reversed, so both versions are still floating around.
Harrison sat out Arizona's 45-21 loss to Detroit the day before while the deal was finalized.[2] Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former Alabama linebacker, had already confirmed the news after Houston's 26-3 win over Tennessee, the team's first victory of the season.[3]
The return shows how far Harrison's stock had fallen. Arizona had reportedly told teams it wanted first-round value.[4] It settled for a second-rounder for the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 draft.
The Buckeye years
Stroud ran Ryan Day's offense at Ohio State from 2020 to 2022, and Harrison arrived as a freshman in 2021.[5] Over their two seasons together, Harrison caught 88 passes for 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns.[6]
Most of that came in 2022, Harrison's breakout year. He piled up 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns while Stroud threw for 3,688 yards and 41 scores.[7] Stroud was a Heisman finalist both seasons and finished third in 2022 before Houston drafted him second overall.[6][8]
Harrison stayed in Columbus one more year with Kyle McCord at quarterback and kept producing. He won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver and was a unanimous All-American for the second time.[9] Stroud never hid how he felt. Before the 2024 draft he called Harrison NFL ready,[10] and he said he would love to play with him again.[6]
Then there's the family name. Harrison's father, a Syracuse product, built a Hall of Fame career with the Indianapolis Colts, totaling more than 14,000 yards over 13 seasons.[11] That's a heavy jersey to grow into.
The Arizona chapter
The numbers tell the story of what changed once the Ohio State connection ended.
|
Season |
Team |
Catches |
Yards |
TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2021–22 (2 seasons) |
Ohio State, with Stroud |
88 |
1,402 |
17 |
|
2023 |
Ohio State |
67 |
1,211 |
14 |
|
2024 |
Arizona (rookie) |
62 |
885 |
8 |
|
2025 |
Arizona (12 games) |
41 |
608 |
4 |
|
2026 |
Arizona (4 games) |
5 |
85 |
1 |
Sources: [6], [12], [13]
His rookie year was solid, if not spectacular. In 2025, illness and a heel injury limited him to 12 games.[13] This season he had just five catches on 13 targets through four games,[14] and Michael Wilson, a Stanford product, had taken over as Arizona's top receiver.[2] All told, Harrison leaves the desert with 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns in 33 games.[8]
The criticism went beyond the box score. Observers questioned his body language and effort this season.[9] Asked this week what went wrong in Arizona, Harrison said he would keep that to himself and focus on moving forward.[1] Wilson came to his defense, calling the trade "crushing" and saying the media doesn't know Harrison the way his teammates do.[15]
Stroud needs a reboot too
This isn't a story of a star quarterback rescuing a struggling receiver. Stroud has his own questions to answer.
He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 with 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.[16] His numbers slipped after that. In 2025 he threw for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns, both career lows, then threw four interceptions in a 28-16 playoff loss to New England.[16] Houston picked up his fifth-year option for 2027, but the pressure to bounce back this season is real.[17]
The season started rough. Houston opened 0-4 before beating the Titans, a game in which Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score.[3] That makes this trade a bet on both players at once.
How Harrison fits in Houston
The Texans' receiver room comes with a built-in rivalry. Nico Collins, the No. 1 receiver, played at Michigan. Collins missed two games with a hamstring injury, and Tank Dell, who starred at the University of Houston, is still working back from a long-term knee injury.[11]
Harrison starts behind Collins on the unofficial depth chart. As he settles in, he could take snaps from Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte, with Iowa State product Jaylin Noel staying in the slot.[18]
No one should expect a full workload right away. Ryans said Harrison won't play every snap on Sunday.[19] The early signs are still encouraging. Harrison spent his first night in Houston going through the playbook with an assistant receivers coach.[20] Stroud called him the hardest worker he has ever been around.[3]
That shared history is the whole bet. Ryans has acknowledged the prior relationship could help Harrison pick up the offense faster.[21] Stroud said he leaves roster moves to the front office but admitted they talked about Harrison before the deal.[5][6] After Wednesday's practice he kept it simple: "Excited to have my guy back and get rolling."[22]
What to watch on Sunday
- Snaps and targets. With a limited role, a handful of targets would be a good start.
- Hands. Drops have been an issue, and his catch rate this season sat at 38.5%.[23]
- Big moments. Third-down and red-zone throws will show how quickly the trust is back.
- The opponent. Jacksonville is 4-1 and leads the AFC South,[19] so this is no warm-up.
There's also a fun division twist. Harrison now plays in the AFC South, the same division as the Colts, where his father built his legacy.[11]
The bottom line
The Texans aren't asking Harrison to save their season by himself. They're betting his talent didn't vanish, and that a familiar quarterback can help him find it again. Houston dug out of an 0-3 hole to make the playoffs last year,[24] and at 1-4 it needs a similar climb.
One game won't settle anything. But for one Sunday morning in London, a Buckeye connection gets another chance, and that's a story worth watching.
Footnotes
- Marvin Harrison Jr. Keeps Cardinals Fallout Private With Cryptic Message (Newsweek)
- Cardinals finalize Marvin Harrison Jr. trade; GM says decision not easy (Field Level Media)
- Stroud powers Texans past Titans as trade reunites him with Marvin Harrison Jr. (AP via News 4 San Antonio)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. Is Getting Traded. Here's Where He Could Land. (SI)
- C.J. Stroud Reveals His Involvement in Texans Trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. (Newsweek)
- Texans grant C.J. Stroud's wish with Marvin Harrison Jr. reunion (Yardbarker)
- Texans one team looking to finalize a trade for Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr. (Roundtable)
- Ohio State Reacts to Marvin Harrison Jr-C.J. Stroud Reunion With Texans (Newsweek)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. Traded to Texans from Cardinals for Draft Picks (Bleacher Report)
- Stroud returns to Ohio State Pro Day (Buckeye Sports Bulletin)
- Marvin Harrison Jr., former No. 4 overall pick, traded to AFC South team (Saturday Down South)
- Cardinals trade Marvin Harrison Jr. to Texans (FOX 10 Phoenix)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. Going To Texans In First Big Trade Of 2026 Season (FOX Sports)
- Cardinals to trade WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to Texans (NFL.com)
- Cardinals WR Michael Wilson Breaks Silence on 'Crushing' Marvin Harrison Jr Trade (Newsweek)
- Houston Texans GM: 'C.J. Stroud isn't going anywhere' (Flashscore)
- C.J. Stroud player page (RotoWire)
- Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Status for Texans-Jaguars Revealed (Bleacher Report)
- Texans Announce Week 6 Decision on Newly-Acquired WR Marvin Harrison Jr (Newsweek)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. to play for Texans vs. Jaguars in London (FOX 26 Houston)
- Can the Marvin Harrison Jr. and C.J. Stroud reunion spark a Texans turnaround? (Roundtable)
- C.J. Stroud makes thoughts clear on Marvin Harrison Jr. reunion (ClutchPoints)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. to make Texans debut in Week 6 London game (Flashscore)
- Ohio State fans react to C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr. reunion (ClutchPoints)