Harris grows between Bama tilts

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- A year ago De'Jon "Scoota" Harris had a high-level introduction to SEC football.

Harris, a linebacker for the Arkansas Razorbacks, found himself unexpectedly thrust into action as a true freshman against No. 1 Alabama in the first quarter when starter Dre Greenlaw suffered a broken foot.

The previous week Harris got some playing time and made seven tackles, but that was in the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's 52-10 victory over Alcorn State. He had played mostly on special teams in three other games.

"Alabama was my first real test," Harris said. "My first snap I made a play on [quarterback] Jalen Hurts, so that felt good.

"Then they started coming at me and found out the weakness. I was kind of all over the place."

Harris finished with four tackles and forced a fumble recovered by cornerback Henre Toliver, but he was learning on the run as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 49-30 victory.

"I kind of was thrown into the fire against Alabama last year," Harris said. "Now I'm comfortable and I'm in a nice role.

"I know what I'm doing."

Harris, a sophomore from Harvey, La., leads the Razorbacks with 43 tackles going into their game against No. 1 Alabama tonight. He has become a starter at middle linebacker in Arkansas' 3-4 defense playing next to Greenlaw.

"I can't be more excited about the direction Scoota's going in," Arkansas inside linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said. "Obviously, he's not the finished product yet, but his confidence level is up.

"He's gaining command of the defense. You can see just by the way he's playing out there, he feels good about what he's doing."

Harris, 6 foot and 242 pounds, has 26 tackles in two SEC games with 14 against Texas A&M and 12 at South Carolina.

For the season he has three tackles for lost yardage and two pass breakups.

"I think Scoota's one of the best linebackers in the SEC," Arkansas sophomore defensive end McTelvin Agim said. "I feel that he comes up and makes the plays he makes.

"The plays he shouldn't make, he makes some of those, too. He's cleaning it up off my side, man. He's really energetic and I feed off that."

Greenlaw is second on the team with 39 tackles.

"This 3-4 defense is built for us to run to the ball, and that's what we've got to do," Harris said. "Coach Hargreaves tells us don't ever get tired of making tackles from the first quarter to the fourth quarter."

Harris said he's not particularly vocal, but he tries to be a leader by example. His teammates have noticed.

"I feel like Scoota's one of our better leaders, because he tries to do the right thing all the time," Arkansas senior nose guard Bijhon Jackson said. "On the field, he always has energy and attacks every rep."

Agim said Harris sets a good example off the field as well.

"You don't ever hear about Scoota having class issues or anything like that," Agim said. "He's really mature."

Harris played in 12 games as a freshman, but he didn't start until this season.

"He's playing at a very good level for a true sophomore who's in his first year starting," Razorbacks defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. "I've commented on this to the staff and even to the defensive outfit, from where Scoota goes on Sunday to where he arrives on Saturday is a large tribute to him and his ability to learn and go out there and apply it on game day."

Harris committed to Arkansas in May 2015 before his senior season at John Ehret High School, but Alabama offered him a scholarship late in the recruiting process. He took an official visit to Tuscaloosa in January 2016, the final weekend before national signing day.

"Anytime those guys come after your guys, you kind of, you know ... it is what it is," Hargreaves said. "But fortunately, I think we built up enough trust that he decided to stay, and we're happy that he did."

Harris, who played quarterback and linebacker at John Ehret, met with Alabama Coach Nick Saban during his visit.

"He told me I was that old-school guy on both sides of the ball that he liked to recruit," Harris said. "It was a good feeling knowing that all the things I did in high school, I was getting credit from Coach Saban."

Harris said he enjoyed his visit to Alabama, but he never wavered in his commitment to Arkansas.

"I didn't have any intentions of going to Alabama," he said. "I wanted to be at Arkansas."

Rhoads, who came to Arkansas after Harris signed, didn't know about Alabama's attempt to sway him.

"I think it's just good to have a player the quality of Scoota Harris," Rhoads said. "Whether it's Alabama [offering a scholarship] or whoever's No. 2 in the country right now or No. 3 and so forth, you want great players in your program.

"Sometimes who recruits them and where they're rated doesn't mean what they're going to be three or five years from then. But clearly in two years, Scoota's shown that he's a player."

Sports on 10/14/2017