2022 QB Chase Harrison Planning Notre Dame Return

2022 Centerville (Ohio) quarterback Chase Harrison‍ is adapting to life without basketball this offseason. 

Harrison made the tough call to move on from hoops to focus on football, but that doesn't mean he's not on the hardwood.

"It's going pretty good," Harrison said. "I'm not playing basketball this year, so I'm training and focusing on football. It's kind of nice to have some time off here and there to focus on football."

"I have to make up for it, so I'm playing in a rec league and playing Kingdom Basketball, which is fun to play with all your friends." 

The decision has paid off for Harrison as he's currently 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.

"I've mostly focused on putting good weight, getting stronger in the weight room and cleaning up my feet," stated Harrison. "I want to get stronger and faster."

Centerville is a program that hosts big-time college coaches every year, so Akron, Central Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Ohio State roaming the halls isn't out of the norm. 

But, Harrison is grateful those schools were coming to check on him as it's something he's work for from a young age.

"It's a cool feeling," explained Harrison. "You always dream about it when you're a little kid to be the kid in the spotlight and coaches come to see.

"It's also something I've been working and striving for my whole life, so it's cool to see it pay off." 

Harrison camped at Notre Dame last summer and area recruiter Mike Elston made sure the Centerville star knew he was in the building a few weeks ago.

"I haven't called them recently, but Coach Mike Elston stopped in," said Harrison. "Obviously, he couldn't really talk to me, but they have stopped by to see me." 

The effort from Elston will likely pay off this spring as Harrison plans to get back to South Bend for spring practice.

"I have a couple of visits I'm thinking about doing," Harrison stated. "Notre Dame is one of them along with Cincinnati, Ohio State and Toledo. I'm seeing who show genuine interest and I'll plan my visits around that." 

Ohio State is a program to watch in the future. The Buckeyes hadn't recruited Harrison much in the fall, but that has started to change.

"I've been calling Coach (Kevin) Wilson every once in a while and we're building a relationship," Harrison said. "He also stopped in. 

"Cincinnati has shown a lot of interest with Toledo." 

It's clear the in-state programs have started to ramp things up and Luke Fickell deciding to stay at Cincinnati perked the interest of Harrison.

"I think it's cool seeing a coach be dedicated to his players and he's not all in for the money," said Harrison. "He wants to build a relationship with his players and I think that's important when looking for a coach you want to play for - continuity with the whole coaching staff. 

"That's awesome to see."