Harris has a lot to prove on D-line

[aubiefifty 18,231]

Preseason standout Marcus Harris has 'a lot to prove' on Auburn D-line

ByNathan King

5-6 minutes

---

 

SEC Expert Pick: Who Wins The SEC West?

 

AUBURN, Alabama — It's been difficult to have a conversation with anyone in the program about Auburn's defensive line this preseason without someone lauding Marcus Harris' impact.

The Kansas transfer has been one of the Tigers' most talked-about players on the roster in fall camp. He entered a D-line room that was down three starters from last year — Tyrone Truesdell, Daquan Newkirk and Big Kat Bryant — and seemingly has helped to replace each one. He's a defensive end by training, but in defensive coordinator Derek Mason's 3-4 system, he's playing inside technique, too, with the likes of Colby Wooden and Zykeivous Walker.

Regardless of where he's worked along the defensive front, there's little doubt in saying that Harris has been one of Auburn's most useful newcomers this preseason, and that he's in line to be a starting-caliber player in 2021.

"Being able to move, pass rush, stop the run — there's been nothing that man can't do," senior linebacker Chandler Wooten said of Harris on Thursday. "So I'm excited to see what he'll be able to do against SEC competition."

When discussing Harris earlier in camp, Mason said the transfer's versatility to play nearly every position along the defensive front allows the coordinator and Auburn's defensive coaches to create more advantageous matchups against an opposing offensive line. If Harris can occupy more than one spot in a given personnel grouping, Mason has more freedom to interchange other positions on the defensive line as he pleases.

"Marcus has been as advertised," Mason said. "He’s a young man from Montgomery who is quick, explosive, strong. His motor runs. ... His attention to detail is high, and his football IQ is high. To see a guy who played in a lot of ballgames last year come in and fit into that room and actually start to lead by example, in terms of what he does, you know, that’s needed right now."

Former Jayhawks coach Les Miles dipped into the Montgomery area in 2019 to snag Harris out of Park Crossing High School. Harris' other offers included Washington State, Liberty and Tulane.

After redshirting the 2019 season, Harris developed into one of the Big 12's better young D-lineman last year, starting five games at defensive end. At 6-foot-2 and 279 pounds, Harris' best game of the season came against West Virginia, when half of his six tackles went for loss. He also had 2.5 TFLs against Kansas State and a strip-sack against Texas Tech.

Harris led Kansas in tackles for loss with 7.5 — a number that would have put him second on Auburn's defense last year behind Wooden.

Harris entered the portal May 12, and Auburn was immediately a factor in his transfer recruitment. Nine days later, the Montgomery native committed to his home-state Tigers.

"He came in and didn't miss a beat," junior edge rusher Derick Hall said of Harris.

Within the first few days of preseason camp, Harris began working with the first-team defense in both three- and four-down alignments. As fall practices progressed, it became more apparent that Harris was going to be a staple of Auburn's starting defensive front.

"He’s just a dog, man," junior linebacker Owen Pappoe said of Harris. "He has a really good get off, super strong, makes a lot of plays in the backfield. He has a pretty good pass-rush skill set to him, too. You can tell that he’s hungry and he’s ready to make a lot of plays for us."

According to his teammates, Harris understands what some perceptions may be of a player coming from a Power Five bottom-feeder to the SEC. It's exactly those doubts that are fueling Harris to have a big year at Auburn and become a known commodity in the Tigers' defense.

And he hopes to do so by being a low-key, unpresuming worker who earns his place in the main rotation.

"He has a lot to prove coming from Kansas," Wooten said. "Obviously people don't relate that a lot to the SEC at times, but he didn't come in that way. He came in very humble, ready to work. And that's one thing I love about him: He just comes in every day, works hard, doesn't say too much while he gets his job done. And he's reliable, so every time I see him in front of me, I know I'm good."

6COMMENTS

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

*** Get Auburn news straight to your inbox with the Auburn Undercover newsletter ***

">247Sports

[SRBautigerfan 1,040]

Harris sounds like he has impressed to this point.  I look forward to that continuing.