Marvin Harrison Jr. is establishing himself as one of the nation’s best young wide receivers — and he has the drip to match.
The Ohio State sophomore entered Saturday’s game vs. Wisconsin with 342 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was also seen sporting equipment beyond the usual scarlet-and-gray fare.
Those items included a sleek Apple Watch and what appeared to be custom-made Louis Vuitton cleats, which he wore in the No. 3 Buckeyes’ 52-21 victory over the Badgers, a game in which he had three receptions for 45 yards.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is playing with an Apple Watch and Louis Vuitton cleats 😯❄️ pic.twitter.com/gmQiU3gCpk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 25, 2022
MORE: What Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State means for Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State
While Harrison doubtless looked good — especially considering Ohio State broke out the all-black unis — it did raise questions from neutral observers: Did Harrison break NCAA rules by wearing the cleats and, more specifically, the Apple Watch?
The simple answer? No. While it’s true the NCAA has rules prohibiting the wearing of electronic devices and certain types of cleats, it doesn’t appear that Harrison broke any rules with his watch or cleats.
Here’s what the NCAA rulebook has to say:
Prohibited Signal Devices
Rule 1, Section 1, Article 10 (regarding prohibited signal devices) stipulates that the wearing of any electronic signal devices is illegal except in certain circumstances:
Players may not be equipped with any electronic, mechanical or other signal devices for the purpose of communicating with any source
(Exceptions: 1. A medically prescribed hearing aid of the sound-amplifier type for hearing-impaired players. 2. A device for transmission or reception of data specifically and only for purposes of health and safety.)
MORE: Three plays that cost Missouri certain victory vs. Auburn
It appears Harrison’s use of an Apple Watch would fall under the second exception, in that it can be used to gather biometric data. That has been a growing part of athletic training in recent years as football staffers aim to get the best, most consistent play from their players for as long as they can.
So, no issue there. What about the cleats? That isn’t a problem either.
Shoe cleat specifications
The NCAA does not have rules regarding custom-made or nonconforming equipment, which makes the organization considerably less stringent than the NFL. It does, however, have several stipulations regarding shoes — none of which Harrison appeared to violate Saturday.
Such stipulations include intent to deceive or injure an opponent; the use of hard, abrasive or unyielding equipment; cleats that extend more than a half-inch from the base of the shoe; or any equipment that could provide an unfair advantage to any player.
And so Harrison’s cleats are not an issue, either — unless officials want to argue he demoralized Wisconsin with how good he looked.
Hits: 0
