Harris Chooses Miami Over Florida & Ohio State

Al Golden continues working his magic as the Miami Hurricanes picked up their twenty-fourth verbal commitment on Tuesday. Winter Park defensive end Trent Harris has pledged his allegiance to The U.

The 6-foot-2, 241-pound Harris is a three- or four-star prospect, depending on the recruiting site, and chose Miami over Florida and Ohio State. Harris grew up a lifelong Gators fan, his room decked in orange and blue and now in need of a full-on makeover as UM seemed the better overall decision.

“It was very difficult … extremely difficult,” Harris said. “I liked Florida since I was little, but I’m not little any more. I needed to make a grown man’s choice of what to do and what will be best to further my abilities. Florida just wasn’t going to work out for me and so Miami is the best choice.”

Harris had fifty tackles and eleven sacks as a junior last season and before narrowing his top three to Miami, Florida and Ohio State, also had Georgia, Alabama and Florida State on his radar.

Always a good day when the Canes pick up a good one. Even better when the Gators and Buckeyes lose out, too. Greg Cote of the Miami Herald touched on Golden’s reel-in earlier:

“Trent Harris, a highly recruited defensive end from Winter Park, made official his oral commitment to UM for 2014, and it was significant both literally and, I thought, symbolically.

Literally because the kid is a four-star recruit who ultimately picked UM over Florida — whose colors and mementoes fill his bedroom — and Urban Meyer’s Ohio State, where his position coach would have been recent NFL Patriots star Mike Vrabel.

“I liked Florida since I was little, but I’m not little anymore,” Harris said Monday. “I needed to make a grown man’s choice.”

The 22 schools that offered him a scholarship also included reigning champion Alabama. If Nick Saban wants you, you are really good. You are blue-chip, national-caliber good.

Instead, Harris puts his faith and future in Miami, despite the Nevin Shapiro-related investigation that has caused two seasons of self-imposed penalties and could bring yet more sanctions when the NCAA finally concludes the case within the next two weeks.

Harris’ decision so close to the NCAA decision makes it a symbolic victory for Miami as well, a final verification that Golden has navigated the program through this.”

The tide is finally turning in Coral Gables. Finally. Welcome to The U, Trent.

Comments

comments