Brian Kelly Shines Light On Addition Of Denver Harris, Final SEC Opportunity
LSU cornerback Denver Harris hasn’t had a traditional college career to this point. Although it’s only been one season, he struggled to stay on the field during his time in College Station with Texas A&M, ultimately leaving the program for a fresh start.
Fast forward to now and Harris is quickly learning the culture Head Coach Brian Kelly is creating in Baton Rouge after transferring to LSU in December.
Kelly gets the most out of his players. It’s an all or nothing approach. The off-field issues Harris demonstrated during his time with Texas A&M won’t be tolerated with a coach of Kelly’s caliber and Harris clearly understands that.
During the transfer portal process, Harris met with the LSU coaching staff several times before both sides agreed that the structural pillars Kelly presents are what the lockdown cornerback needs to get back on track.
“Obviously we did a lot of research,” Kelly said on Tuesday. “This was not a decision where we just said ‘Hey, here’s a great player’. He had to fit. We felt like we did our due diligence in terms of his background. There’s an affiliation with LSU here with his family. He had a lot of people speak on his behalf. He had a number of interviews with (LSU defensive coordinator Matt House) and myself.”
Now, the former five-star recruit in the 2022 class has one option: Make it happen in Baton Rouge.
In what Coach Kelly described as his last SEC opportunity, it’s now or never for Harris to put the off-field issues behind him and prosper under Kelly’s guidance.
“We felt that with the culture we have put together, he would make it here,” Kelly said. “The culture is really strong. It’s proven to be that. He’s done well early on, and he has no choice. He has to make it. Here’s a guy that’s been given a second chance. And we feel like because of the circumstances, the culture is strong, and he knows this is really his last chance at an SEC opportunity, that it was worth the risk.”
This LSU staff has proven they can handle drama. They can handle the outside noise. After doing their research before bringing in Harris, it has the chance to be another success story for Coach Kelly and his program.
The former blue-chip recruit has the chance to compete for a starting spot with an LSU squad that is quickly on the rise. After retooling their secondary this offseason, bringing his Harris and several other newcomers, the Tigers will need a player of his caliber to step up and make an impact quickly.
Despite Harris’ off the field antics being the major takeaway from his lone season in College Station, his production with the Aggies was impressive, proving he’s ready for SEC competition after seeing success as a true freshman.
By late October, Harris had played 211 snaps for the Aggies and given up just four completions on 11 targets for just 28 yards. On the four completions, Harris gave up just one yard after the catch.
The new Tiger knows the game. He knows the expectations under Brian Kelly. Now is his time to make the most of it and shine bright in Death Valley for a program with a championship or bust mentality.
