Take Two: Does LSU or Texas A&M lead for Donell Harris?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
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THE SITUATION
Donell Harris has had a few interesting months.
The Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep standout was committed to Miami for about a year, but backed off that pledge this summer. He has also reclassified from a 2021 prospect to 2020 and in the last week or so Harris announced he was down to LSU and Texas A&M with a commitment coming next month.
There has been a lot of discussion around Texas A&M and it seemed like the Aggies were the big leader late in the summer. But LSU seems to be surging for the four-star defensive end/outside linebacker and this is going to be another SEC West battleground recruitment.
The other question with Harris - and this was ramped up even more after he reclassified to the 2020 class - is whether he has the physical statute to make an early impact wherever he ends up.
This summer at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, Harris showed off superb speed but he got pushed around by way bigger offensive linemen off the edge.
Does Texas A&M or LSU lead for Harris’ services and will he need a redshirt year once he gets to campus to bulk up to play in the uber-physical SEC?
FIRST TAKE: Rob Cassidy, Florida analyst
“A&M led following Harris' pre-season visit to campus, but it seems LSU has closed the gap in a hurry. I still think the Aggies are the smart bet, but anything could happen. Harris has added some weight already this season, but I think he'd be well-served to redshirt and bulk up before expecting to have an impact in the SEC.”
SECOND TAKE: Mike Farrell, Rivals.com
“A&M was the team that was trending for him for a while, but the season hasn’t gone well. He’s watching what LSU is doing. Ed Orgeron is a defensive coach and a great recruiter, so I know he’s making Harris a priority. LSU certainly could have the edge right now and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up there.
“I thought some guys like Arden Key and Barkevious Mingo were just too skinny to make an impact early in their careers and they’ve done it at LSU. I wouldn’t count out Harris. He needs a redshirt year, but who knows? He could bulk up 25 pounds in the offseason, come in there as a situational pass rusher and surprise everybody.”