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With only one commit at defensive end in Surge19 and a huge need to increase numbers at the spot, the Miami Hurricanes have been poking around Grayson (GA) DE/OLB Kevin Harris. The Canes and the 4-star Harris developed a relationship quickly: the staff offered the Peach State product back on March 8th and 2 weeks later, UM was in Harris’ final 3, along with LSU and Alabama. He’ll be in Coral Gables this weekend for his first unofficial visit to the Miami campus.
“Yeah, it’s my first time at Miami,” said Harris. “I’m gonna be looking out for a lot of stuff, I have a long list. Small things like how the campus looks and how I feel when I’m there.”
Harris detailed the whirlwind process of how the Hurricanes shot to the top of his recruitment, and it had a lot to do with the Georgia recruiting connections that new D-Line coach Jess Simpson has brought to Coral Gables, as well as Miami's need on the line.
“My head coach and coach Simpson, they actually go way back,” Harris said. “My coach was just talking to coach Simpson one day, he mentioned me and coach Simpson gave me a call. We had a talk and it went really well. Then, I checked out Miami’s situation with their defensive ends and everything and saw they need some guys.”
One thing is for certain: if Harris does end up choosing the Canes, it will be because of the relationship and bond he has developed with coach Simpson in such a short time period.
“Yes sir, we have a great connection. It just happened so fast. We talked for a very long time that first time, so it just shows he’s able to connect on not just football, but a whole lot of things,” Harris said on coach Simpson. “We both like to dissect pass rushing tape and all that, we talked about that a lot. He can help me with all of the stuff that he’s learned from over the years, coaching with the Falcons and everything. I kind of do trust him, because my head coach trusts him and he wouldn’t lead me down the wrong path. So, I’m very confident in coach Simpson.”
Besides coach Simpson, Harris, who is being recruited as a pure defensive end by Miami and not an outside linebacker, says he’s begun communicating with Mark Richt as well and it seems the Canes head coach has taken a personal interest in the 6’4” 217 pound end’s recruitment. At the end of the day, though, it’s Harris’ visit to campus this weekend that will truly allow him to get a full assessment on the program.
“The head coach (Mark Richt), I’ve talked to him too. They just seem like great people and it just seems like a great opportunity for me to go down there and work,” Harris said. “It’s everything that I’ve been looking for in a school. So far, everything’s been good, but the visit is really going to be my chance to evaluate the school.”
After his Miami visit, Harris will head to LSU on the weekend of April 27th for an official visit in Baton Rouge. He’s already taken an unofficial visit to third finalist Alabama in early April, and talked about how that went.
“I met coach Kool, but the coach that’s really recruiting me over there is coach Lupoi,” Harris said. “He’s a very eccentric guy, we talked a lot and I really liked the vibe he gave off, he’s a very cool coach. I got to watch him coach on the visit, he has a lot of experience.”
When all his visits are done, Harris will sit down and weight out the benefits and drawbacks to each program, then announce his decision on Tuesday, May 1st. Whichever school he ends up choosing, expect the decision to be final.
“It’s a very tough decision,” said Harris. “I’ll honestly just lay out all the pro’s and con’s of each school and it just has to come down to that feeling I get when I’m at that school and everything. That will stick out to me, that’s one of the biggest things to me. I don’t want to have to go somewhere else later or something like that, I want to be 100% in my commitment. I have to get a lot of stuff done this spring and have a lot to figure out before May 1st.”
“Yeah, it’s my first time at Miami,” said Harris. “I’m gonna be looking out for a lot of stuff, I have a long list. Small things like how the campus looks and how I feel when I’m there.”
Harris detailed the whirlwind process of how the Hurricanes shot to the top of his recruitment, and it had a lot to do with the Georgia recruiting connections that new D-Line coach Jess Simpson has brought to Coral Gables, as well as Miami's need on the line.
“My head coach and coach Simpson, they actually go way back,” Harris said. “My coach was just talking to coach Simpson one day, he mentioned me and coach Simpson gave me a call. We had a talk and it went really well. Then, I checked out Miami’s situation with their defensive ends and everything and saw they need some guys.”
One thing is for certain: if Harris does end up choosing the Canes, it will be because of the relationship and bond he has developed with coach Simpson in such a short time period.
“Yes sir, we have a great connection. It just happened so fast. We talked for a very long time that first time, so it just shows he’s able to connect on not just football, but a whole lot of things,” Harris said on coach Simpson. “We both like to dissect pass rushing tape and all that, we talked about that a lot. He can help me with all of the stuff that he’s learned from over the years, coaching with the Falcons and everything. I kind of do trust him, because my head coach trusts him and he wouldn’t lead me down the wrong path. So, I’m very confident in coach Simpson.”
Besides coach Simpson, Harris, who is being recruited as a pure defensive end by Miami and not an outside linebacker, says he’s begun communicating with Mark Richt as well and it seems the Canes head coach has taken a personal interest in the 6’4” 217 pound end’s recruitment. At the end of the day, though, it’s Harris’ visit to campus this weekend that will truly allow him to get a full assessment on the program.
“The head coach (Mark Richt), I’ve talked to him too. They just seem like great people and it just seems like a great opportunity for me to go down there and work,” Harris said. “It’s everything that I’ve been looking for in a school. So far, everything’s been good, but the visit is really going to be my chance to evaluate the school.”
After his Miami visit, Harris will head to LSU on the weekend of April 27th for an official visit in Baton Rouge. He’s already taken an unofficial visit to third finalist Alabama in early April, and talked about how that went.
“I met coach Kool, but the coach that’s really recruiting me over there is coach Lupoi,” Harris said. “He’s a very eccentric guy, we talked a lot and I really liked the vibe he gave off, he’s a very cool coach. I got to watch him coach on the visit, he has a lot of experience.”
When all his visits are done, Harris will sit down and weight out the benefits and drawbacks to each program, then announce his decision on Tuesday, May 1st. Whichever school he ends up choosing, expect the decision to be final.
“It’s a very tough decision,” said Harris. “I’ll honestly just lay out all the pro’s and con’s of each school and it just has to come down to that feeling I get when I’m at that school and everything. That will stick out to me, that’s one of the biggest things to me. I don’t want to have to go somewhere else later or something like that, I want to be 100% in my commitment. I have to get a lot of stuff done this spring and have a lot to figure out before May 1st.”
