Marvin Harrison’s name has long echoed through the halls of Syracuse football history - now, it’ll officially be etched into college football immortality.
On Wednesday, the National Football Foundation announced that Harrison is one of 18 players selected for induction into the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame. With this honor, Harrison becomes just the 11th player in Syracuse program history to receive the sport’s highest collegiate recognition and the 17th individual with ties to the Orange to be enshrined.
He’s also the first Syracuse player to earn the nod since Dwight Freeney joined the Hall in 2023. And when it comes to wide receivers, Harrison joins elite company - only he and Art Monk have represented Syracuse pass-catchers in the Hall of Fame ranks.
Harrison’s rise at Syracuse wasn’t immediate, but once he got going, he was nearly impossible to stop. After a quiet freshman year in 1992, where he caught just two passes, Harrison broke out in 1993 with 41 catches for over 800 yards and seven touchdowns - a sign of things to come.
By his senior season in 1995, he was a full-blown star. That year, he hauled in 56 receptions for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging over 20 yards per catch.
It was the kind of production that turned heads nationally and cemented his place as one of the most dynamic receivers in the country.
But Harrison wasn’t just a threat on offense. He made his mark on special teams, too. In 1995, he earned Big East Special Teams Player of the Year honors and was named an All-American, showcasing his versatility and all-around impact on the field.
By the time he wrapped up his college career, Harrison had totaled 135 receptions, more than 2,700 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns. To this day, he ranks second all-time in both receiving yards and touchdowns in Syracuse history - a testament to just how dominant he was during his four-year run.
That dominance carried over to the next level. Harrison was selected 19th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent his entire 13-year career. He became the franchise’s go-to receiver for nearly a decade, racking up eight Pro Bowl selections and helping lead the Colts to a championship in Super Bowl XL.
Now, Harrison joins a legendary group of Syracuse alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame, including names like Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, Don McPherson, and of course, Art Monk. The full list of Syracuse-connected inductees also includes Joe Alexander, Tim Green, Vic Hanson, Dwight Freeney, and a handful of former coaches: Howard Jones, Tad Jones, Dick MacPherson, Clarence Munn, Frank O’Neill, and Ben Schwartzwalder.
Harrison’s official induction will take place this December at the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, held at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. He’ll also be honored on campus at Syracuse in the fall - a fitting homecoming for one of the greatest to ever wear the Orange.
From Carrier Dome standout to NFL legend, and now a Hall of Famer - Marvin Harrison’s football journey continues to inspire, and his legacy just got a well-deserved place in the sport’s most exclusive club.