WATCH: 5-star EDGE Nyckoles Harbor runs absurd 10.32 100
The term “freak athlete” gets tossed around quite a bit this time of year as we head toward the NFL Draft. But it’s fair to wonder this year whether the country’s most impressive athlete isn’t among those hoping to get drafted — or even out of high school yet. Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll EDGE Nyckoles Harbor isn’t just one of the country’s top high school sprinters; he is one of the country’s top high school sprinters at 6’5 and nearly 240 pounds.
On Saturday, he towered over his opponents at the starting line and then outran all of them to an eye-popping 10.32 100-meter dash. His time is a slight improvement over the 10.38 he ran a year ago as a sophomore, and he has also notched a 20.79 200, the fourth-fastest time ever by a high school sprinter in the U.S.
That speed — which Harbor hopes will take him to the Olympics — combined with his size is what makes him one of the most coveted football prospects in the country. Alabama, LSU, USC, Oregon, Georgia, Maryland and Penn State are among a number of programs who have offered and are in heavy pursuit.
Track is the focus right now for Nyckoles Harbor
Due to track, Harbor will not be able to take too many visits until the summer. He visited Maryland, a local program, a little over two weeks ago. Harbor is working to get his list down to around five to six schools and Maryland is in a good position to be one of those schools, according to On3’s Chad Simmons. He has visited around half a dozen times, so he is very familiar with the local program.
It is still unknown when Harbor will make his commitment. He is all track right now, and he works on recruiting when he has time. A top five is likely to come by the end of the spring or early in the summer. Then Harbor could take his official visits in June and commit or wait until during the season.
It is a split between track and football on what will factor into his decision. When he visits schools, Harbor meets with both sets of coaches. Position could also factor in. He is ranked as the No. 2 EDGE in the country, but some schools are talking about him on the offensive side of the ball. Due to track, playing offense is intriguing to Harbor.
He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 10 overall football prospect, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also checks in as the country’s No. 2 EDGE and the No. 1 player in the District of Columbia.