Boston College WR Reed Harris talks ASU pledge

Arizona State was in search of a physical wide receiver in the transfer portal, and the 6-foot-5, 217-pound Boston College transfer Reed Harris was looking for a measure of consistency following a period of change in the offseason. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, and even before Harris took his official visit to ASU, he knew that Tempe would be his home for the next two years.

“I was just looking for a new experience in college,” Harris explained,  “and my old receivers coach got let go after this last season. I knew Hines’ (Hines Ward, ASU’s wide receivers coach) background, I knew his track record, and I wanted a coach who could develop me and get me ready for the next level. I thought Coach Hines (Ward), Coach Dillingham, and Coach Arroyo were the perfect lineup for everything I needed on offense. I liked Coach Ward’s consistency that he approaches practice with every day. And that’s what some of the other players talked to me about when I was sitting there with them at the recruiting dinner. They said how consistent he was, how much of a personable coach he was, and that he’s not just gonna show up to practice, coach you, and then leave for the day. He’s gonna try and make an impression on your life, and that’s everything I wanted from him.”

And the impression Harris made on the Sun Devil staff as they evaluated potential players for his position was profound. The wide receiver started all 12 games this past season for the Golden Eagles, totaling 39 catches for 673 yards (second on the team) and five touchdowns (leading the team), all three numbers marked career highs for him. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he played in all 13 games, making 11 starts, and averaged 28.6 yards per reception, totaling 486 receiving yards on 17 catches and four touchdowns.

“He (Hines Ward) thinks that I’m that big body receiver that ASU’s been wanting,” Harris stated. “I can go up and attack the ball in the air, I’m a deep threat downfield, and I can add a lot in the blocking game and the run game too. Hopefully, I can do everything they want me to do. I like this ASU (offense) because Coach Arroyo wants to get the ball in the playmakers’ hands. Whether it’s gonna be me or anybody else, he’s gonna try and get the ball in everybody’s hands, and that’s what I wanted to see.”

Even with his notable accomplishments last season, feats that drew the interest of schools such as Oregon and SMU, Harris said he was humbled when Arizona State first contacted him, and that initial conversation more than just set up the stage for what would follow.

“I was surprised, just because of the caliber of school that they are,” Harris recalled. “I wasn’t really expecting that, but when they did, I was pretty excited. With my first conversation with Coach Ward, I like just how down to earth he seemed. He is the uncle that everybody can rely on and have a good time with. So, going into it (his ASU visit), I knew that Arizona State was the school that I wanted to play for. I loved being able to have good conversations on my visit with the coaches. We talked about things that I like to do in my daily life. The things that I do out here (in Montana) are completely different from what they do back in their home lives. It was fun to have those kinds of conversations. Montana is closer (than Massachusetts) to Arizona, it definitely made it (the decision) a little bit easier, just knowing that I could be closer to home, and it would be easier for my family to come see games.

“When I came on the visit, seeing the way that Coach Dillingham interacts with people was cool. He’s one of the most serious and unserious coaches, and that’s something I love about him. Also, I’m not trying to play the comparison game, but the facilities at ASU are probably some of the best that I’ve seen compared to what I’ve been in.

I’m not going to say that’s what drew me there, but that definitely makes it easier when you’re trying to perform and do your job.

I was just going with the flow on the visit, meeting all the coaches, meeting the players, and it was just a good experience.”

Harris’ visit took place after the other main pieces to the Sun Devils’ aerial attack were secured out of the transfer portal in quarterback Cutter Boley, and wide receivers Omarion Miller and Raiden Vines-Bright. Harris is looking forward to meeting his new teammates in person, and much like the ASU staff sees the vast potential for a potent passing game in Tempe this upcoming season.

“My goal is to be the number one receiver wherever I end up at,” Harris commented, “and I think it doesn’t even matter at this point, knowing that me and Omarion are going to be on the field at the same time. That’s going to give defenses a problem. So, there’s the Batman and Robin discussion of one of us being a complement to each other, but I think that we can just be Batman and Batman and try to go out and each of us having 1,000-yard seasons. I’ve been texting on Instagram with those guys, and we’re just excited to work together.”

Harris comes across as a player who is able to balance his confidence and humility, and feels that ASU is the perfect program to have him reach his goals and aspirations.   

“Arizona State has always been a dream school for me, because of the track record that they have,” Harris remarked. “It was pretty easy for me to decide to go there when they first reached out. It starts with (former wide receiver) Brandon Aiyuk, knowing that (former quarterback) Brock Osweiler, who is also from Montana, played there, that’s just another positive. And obviously, seeing what Coach Hines has done with Jordyn Tyson in the last two years, I knew that that’s what I wanted to be able to follow in.

“I expected that (his 2025 season) for myself, but there was still a lot that was left out there. The goal for this season was just to try and build off of that, be the best version of myself, and just keep trying to unlock my potential. You can’t really put pressure on yourself, because then that just gets in the way of everything else that you’re trying to do. This is only my fourth year playing wide receiver, so I know there’s still a lot I can work on and polish my skills to get better.”