Harper ready for first visit

Wichita (Kan.) Northwest four-star athlete Chris Harper has a busy weekend planned.

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Rivals250 selection will play a game against Wichita South on Thursday night, and then Friday he boards a plane to head to his official visit to Notre Dame.

"I really want to see what it's like to be at a game there," Harper, the No. 16 athlete and the No. 2 player in Kansas, said.

"I've heard some really good things about what it's like there, and I just wanted to see what it's like in person. I know they're off to an 0-3 start, but Notre Dame was a place I felt really good about when I was there for a visit, and I wanted to see it again and see if those same thoughts are with me."

Harper will play another Thursday night game next week and then he'll leave for Illinois on Sept. 28 for an official visit. The Illini play host to Penn State that weekend and Harper said Illinois has been near the top of his list for a while now because they are recruiting him to play quarterback.

Harper said the only other school he's got a date scheduled with is Kansas State.

"I think my visit is going to be for the Missouri game," Harper said. "But it's not set in stone quite yet."

Harper has scholarship offers from Cal, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and others. He said teams like Illinois, Missouri and Kansas State still stand out because they are recruiting him to play quarterback.

Harper said, though, that Notre Dame's coaches mentioned to him when he talked to them this week that the option of playing quarterback might be on the table.

"They told me they're thinking of changing things up and playing more in a spread offense," Harper said. "They told me they're seriously going to give me a look at quarterback and receiver.

"That has given me a lot to think about."

Harper has been pleased with the way his senior season has started.

"I've had some good games," he said. "We've been putting up some good numbers and winning some games. We have a challenge in two weeks against Wichita Heights and then we have to go out to Garden City here in a few weeks to face Brodrick Smith and those guys."