Texas linebacker Jeremiah Harris commits to Kansas State
THE SITUATION
Kansas State has been on firing in the Lone State of land, nabbing commitments from three-stars Ronald Triplette and Demarrquese Hayes. The Wildcats' momentum continued into Friday evening with another Houston standout.
Three-star Shadow Creek (Texas) linebacker Jeremiah Harris committed to Kansas State over Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Florida International.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
On why Kansas State? "Kansas State has something special going on. We're about to be the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12."
On the timing of the decision: "My official visit is close (on June 21) and I felt like Kansas State was the right place for me, so after talking to the coaches tonight I just went ahead and made my decision."
Which coaches played the biggest roles: "Coach (Van) Malone played a major role in making me a Wildcat. I also realized Coach (Chris) Klieman's experience. It was right for me."
RIVALS REACTION
An inside linebacker with a thinner frame (6-foot-1, 205 pounds), Harris makes up for size with tremendous athleticism and excellent speed. Harris tacked on some weight during the spring, which turned a lot of coaches' heads who were bullish on him.
As a junior, Harris showed a ton of quickness as a rusher, both off the edge and providing an inside blitz. He's instinctual and has the burst to match. Harris tends to make a ton of pop plays, quickly exploding through the line of scrimmage to make plays happen at or behind the line of scrimmage. That was made evident by 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2018.
What stands out is Harris' quickness, ability to bend and keep motoring through the play and his ability to change directions on a whim. That type of play should thrive on a Big 12 defense, as he'll be able to cover athletic tight ends, running backs and also get after the passer.