Late-arriving linebacker working way up Arkansas depth chart
Arkansas’ linebacker room is set with the top guys like Xavian Sorey Jr., Stephen Dix Jr. and Bradley Shaw, but there’s another piece that’s starting to emerge throughout fall camp.
Andrew Harris, a transfer from UCF that defensive coordinator Travis Williams recruited coming out of high school, has quietly worked his way up the depth chart in fall camp and is making a name for himself with the Razorbacks.
“He’s growing, he’s a guy, he just got here,” Williams said Monday. “The thing about the portal, when you get these guys in June, you’re trying to speed up the process. So, everybody that we sign out the portal in June, we’re speeding up the process…and you could just see him and he’s getting better and better. He’s a physical guy, heavy-handed guy, solid guy. He puts his body on you with tackles. So, he’s going to be a player that could be able to help us this year.”
Last season, Harris appeared in nine games with the Knights and recorded nine tackles. He primarily appeared on special teams, but he’s worked his way up the depth chart at linebacker and could be an impact player next season.
Williams said things are still fluid with how he’s planning to use the linebackers this season, and Harris is a guy that could end up getting some run with the first team.
“There’s going to be moves, let me say that,” Williams said. “But it’s not really 1s, 2s and 3s. It could change today, it could change tomorrow. We were talking about Andrew (Harris) moving up. It’s forever fluid. There’s nothing that’s just constant for us because you can be with the 1s, with the 3s, with the 2s or whatever, so it’s forever fluid.”
How Harris got to Arkansas
Harris was a late portal addition and missed the entirety of spring practice in Fayetteville. Out of high school, he and his twin brother were committed to Williams while he was at UCF.
After Williams left, he stuck it out at UCF while his brother committed to Maryland.
“So he and his twin were committed to me,” Williams said. “His twin brother is starting at Maryland and doing a great job there as their Mike linebacker and he has a bright future for them there. But it was good recruiting him and just getting to know their Mom and their whole family and where they’re from.”
The Harris family hails from Jamaica, according to Harris’ bio, and they got to the United States when Harris was in the third grade.
“So there was a learning barrier for them,” Williams said. “And just seeing both of those guys blossom and seeing how the good Lord has blessed their lives. They’ve used this football to see the world. Just from their background to graduating high school, to getting full scholarships, to both guys playing at Power 4…I’m just so blessed to be Andrew’s coach and being the person who is able to coach him because he has a bright, bright future.”
What Harris’ teammates are saying about him
After the Razorbacks’ first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, Sorey talked about what Harris has done that makes him stand out in the linebacker room.
“Andrew, when I started seeing it, was day one of camp,” Sorey said. “Day 1 of camp, and him just being, like, over physical. He’s definitely a physical player and doesn’t shy away from it, and like, always seeking contact. So that’s one of the biggest things that I see. And then, like, as far as being a linebacker, that’s great attributes to have. So I’m excited to see what Andrew’s gonna do this year. Definitely excited.”
On the other side of the football, starting quarterback Taylen Green also said Harris’ physicality was noticeable.
“Just his physicality, in one of the practices — coach, somebody, had to tell him, like, to ease off of his physicality,” Green said. “But like you said, you love that out of a linebacker and just his speed, sideline to sideline. We doing like a running play, and he’s catching up to the running back.”
