12-03-2022, 02:14 PM
Four dimensional analysis on Harris:
Services: 247 composite N/A, On3 consensus #752 (#109 WR), 247 #162 ATH, On3 #79 WR, Rivals NR (5.6 grade, same grade as Silas Starr, Bryce Farrell, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Taijuan Thomas, Conner Crane, Dontonio Jordan, Devon Cajuste), ESPN #34 ATH (I don't understand at all how there can't be a 247 composite ranking when each individual service has ranked him and all but 247 grade him respectably)
Offers: Stanford, Cal, Eastern Michigan, UNLV, Utah
Production: As a senior against heinous competition (bottom one percent of Shaw recruits, only Marcus Graham and Ryan Sanborn lower among the last 210 signees), Harris had 73 catches for 1492 yards (sixth in California, with future teammate Tiger Bachmeier fifth) on 20.4 yards per catch, with 24 touchdowns (second in California). He accounted for 51.4 percent of his team's passing offense, which is a mammoth amount but actually behind both future classmates Ahmari Borden (55+ percent, only Fehoko and Reuben more dominant by that measure in the years I've tracked) and Bachmeier. Harris had modest rushing production, nine carries for 49 yards. [Younger brother Jalen, led the team in rushing with 660 yards and 8 touchdowns on an eye-popping 12.2 yards per carry.] On defense, Harris had 0.9 tackles per game (dead last among all tacklers on the team), which probably indicates not playing much on defense, but he did have an interception. On special teams, he returned three kicks an average 34.3 yards and two punts, one a 73 yard return and the other a 22 yard return. Maxpreps did not report stats for his sophomore (a short five game pandemic season) or junior years. His Hudl highlights claim he played only four games as a junior and had 27 catches for 568 yards (21 yards per catch) and 8 touchdowns, massive dominance like his senior year. In track, he only ran the 100 one time as a junior and clocked an 11.70. If that's his best it's on the slow end but not the slowest WR Shaw has brought in (Whitfield and Starr slower plus numerous WR recruits who didn't even run the 100). But it's almost certainly not his best, and maybe not close, as it's the only time he ran. Still, enough to know he's not a burner.
Highlights: In a sign of what a late bloomer he is, he didn't even join post a Hudl highlight until after his junior year and didn't start posting single game highlights until this year. His junior year highlights show a serviceable mix of routes but are most notable for showcasing him getting vertical and using his big size (6'3"), especially in the end zone to go up for balls or box defenders out. There are yards after catch plays highlighted but they may have been a function of lowly competition. Harris has yet to post full season senior year highlights but in the partial highlights he posted it's even more getting vertical and using his size in the end zone and a lot more yards after catch, with juke moves introduced compared to the previous year. Again, one wonders what it would look like against better competition. The only evidence of Harris ever lining up against a future major college football player actually came on defense, against Miramonte and future UCLA QB Luke Duncan. Harris' highlights show him very impressively snuffing out a pass in the flat to the running back for an 8 yard loss (from the 10 yard line to the 2 yard line). On the very next play Duncan tried to buy a few yards with a quick slant and Harris broke up that pass. On Duncan's highlights it's a bit hard to see the jersey numbers of the Berkeley defenders who got beat but it does seem Harris got the worst of it/left his feet a few times. Beyond that game, I can't find any evidence of Harris ever playing a major player, so keep that in mind when watching his impressive highlights.
It's odd to evaluate players in between coaching regimes, as we don't even know what the personality or schemes will be going forward, nor are players like Harris guys who have been evaluated, recruited, or signed off on by the new regime. Indeed, an argument can be made that Harris committed when he did in part to secure a spot (or make it harder for a scholarship to be withdrawn), though it appears he's genuinely all in on Stanford regardless of coaching. But this is a legitimate prospect, and sometimes late bequests of ancien regimes can be godsends for the new group. Thomas Keiser springs to mind as a poignant example from the Harris to Harbaugh transition. In this case, Harris looks the part as a legitimate Pac-12 WR. He fits the mold Kennedy has quite obviously favored - big receivers with massive high school production. For those looking for big-time speed or quickness, this isn't your guy. But for a team hemorrhaging players with a lot of uncertainty about what future rosters look like at all positions, getting a plausible Pac-12 guy is something we should be happy about at every position.
Services: 247 composite N/A, On3 consensus #752 (#109 WR), 247 #162 ATH, On3 #79 WR, Rivals NR (5.6 grade, same grade as Silas Starr, Bryce Farrell, Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Taijuan Thomas, Conner Crane, Dontonio Jordan, Devon Cajuste), ESPN #34 ATH (I don't understand at all how there can't be a 247 composite ranking when each individual service has ranked him and all but 247 grade him respectably)
Offers: Stanford, Cal, Eastern Michigan, UNLV, Utah
Production: As a senior against heinous competition (bottom one percent of Shaw recruits, only Marcus Graham and Ryan Sanborn lower among the last 210 signees), Harris had 73 catches for 1492 yards (sixth in California, with future teammate Tiger Bachmeier fifth) on 20.4 yards per catch, with 24 touchdowns (second in California). He accounted for 51.4 percent of his team's passing offense, which is a mammoth amount but actually behind both future classmates Ahmari Borden (55+ percent, only Fehoko and Reuben more dominant by that measure in the years I've tracked) and Bachmeier. Harris had modest rushing production, nine carries for 49 yards. [Younger brother Jalen, led the team in rushing with 660 yards and 8 touchdowns on an eye-popping 12.2 yards per carry.] On defense, Harris had 0.9 tackles per game (dead last among all tacklers on the team), which probably indicates not playing much on defense, but he did have an interception. On special teams, he returned three kicks an average 34.3 yards and two punts, one a 73 yard return and the other a 22 yard return. Maxpreps did not report stats for his sophomore (a short five game pandemic season) or junior years. His Hudl highlights claim he played only four games as a junior and had 27 catches for 568 yards (21 yards per catch) and 8 touchdowns, massive dominance like his senior year. In track, he only ran the 100 one time as a junior and clocked an 11.70. If that's his best it's on the slow end but not the slowest WR Shaw has brought in (Whitfield and Starr slower plus numerous WR recruits who didn't even run the 100). But it's almost certainly not his best, and maybe not close, as it's the only time he ran. Still, enough to know he's not a burner.
Highlights: In a sign of what a late bloomer he is, he didn't even join post a Hudl highlight until after his junior year and didn't start posting single game highlights until this year. His junior year highlights show a serviceable mix of routes but are most notable for showcasing him getting vertical and using his big size (6'3"), especially in the end zone to go up for balls or box defenders out. There are yards after catch plays highlighted but they may have been a function of lowly competition. Harris has yet to post full season senior year highlights but in the partial highlights he posted it's even more getting vertical and using his size in the end zone and a lot more yards after catch, with juke moves introduced compared to the previous year. Again, one wonders what it would look like against better competition. The only evidence of Harris ever lining up against a future major college football player actually came on defense, against Miramonte and future UCLA QB Luke Duncan. Harris' highlights show him very impressively snuffing out a pass in the flat to the running back for an 8 yard loss (from the 10 yard line to the 2 yard line). On the very next play Duncan tried to buy a few yards with a quick slant and Harris broke up that pass. On Duncan's highlights it's a bit hard to see the jersey numbers of the Berkeley defenders who got beat but it does seem Harris got the worst of it/left his feet a few times. Beyond that game, I can't find any evidence of Harris ever playing a major player, so keep that in mind when watching his impressive highlights.
It's odd to evaluate players in between coaching regimes, as we don't even know what the personality or schemes will be going forward, nor are players like Harris guys who have been evaluated, recruited, or signed off on by the new regime. Indeed, an argument can be made that Harris committed when he did in part to secure a spot (or make it harder for a scholarship to be withdrawn), though it appears he's genuinely all in on Stanford regardless of coaching. But this is a legitimate prospect, and sometimes late bequests of ancien regimes can be godsends for the new group. Thomas Keiser springs to mind as a poignant example from the Harris to Harbaugh transition. In this case, Harris looks the part as a legitimate Pac-12 WR. He fits the mold Kennedy has quite obviously favored - big receivers with massive high school production. For those looking for big-time speed or quickness, this isn't your guy. But for a team hemorrhaging players with a lot of uncertainty about what future rosters look like at all positions, getting a plausible Pac-12 guy is something we should be happy about at every position.