AZ DE Pledge Open To Hearing From ND
Jalen Harris remains comfortable with the decision he made to commit to Arizona a few months back, but the 2017 Arizona defensive end is keeping his eyes open.
“I’m just covering my bases,” the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Mesa, Ariz., said.
Harris has strong ties to the Wildcats and the pledge he made back in August certainly still seems strong.
“I just built a good relationship with the coaching staff,” he said. “My dad went there and he played football there. It was just a place I felt comfortable.”
Harris’ father, Sean Harris, was a linebacker at Arizona before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. His father, who played six seasons with the Bears, has provided some advice for the recruiting process.
“You’ve got to make the best decision for you and at the end of the day, it’s about you,” Harris said of what his father told him.
“He also told me to always compete everywhere. You’re not just competing against people in your state or on your team, you’re competing against everybody in the country, so you’ve got to work hard.”
So while the ties and comfort are in Arizona, Harris will continue to do his due diligence to make sure he finds the best school for him. Part of that process could include looking at Notre Dame, a school that has expressed some preliminary interest.
“They like my game, I’m an explosive player,” Harris said of the Irish. “It’s mostly small talk right now.”
The Desert Ridge High School standout isn’t sure what the next step is, but he’s looking forward to a positive one.
Harris said he’s “definitely” interested in Notre Dame.
“It’s a good school academically, so I would really be interested and getting a degree from there would be great,” he said.
He also said he would welcome a chance to visit South Bend to get a better feel.
“The program and the academics of course and to meet some of the players and the attitude the coaches have around the team,” he said.
Harris also has offers from schools like Arizona State, Oregon, Washington State, Vanderbilt and Illinois among others.
“I get off the ball quick, I have a high motor, I can chase down plays,” he said of what college coaches like about his game.
He hasn’t taken any officials yet, but expects to take his official to Arizona next month. He doesn’t have any other trips to any other schools planned at this point.