2015 Spartan Nation Football Profile: OLB Darien “Highlight” Harris

2015 Spartan Nation Football Profile: OLB Darien “Highlight” Harris Expectation: All Big Ten OLB Height: 6’ Weight: 222# 2015 Eligibility: RS Senior

2015 Spartan Nation Football Profile: OLB Darien “Highlight” Harris

Expectation: All Big Ten OLB

Height: 6’

Weight: 222#

2015 Eligibility: RS Senior

EXP: 3 Letters

Status: Starting OLB

Strengths: Smart, Fast, Lean and Mean. If you were to look up the definition of a football player in the dictionary you might find his picture. Going into last season he was much bigger than he wanted to be to play OLB (235#) because they were still considering him at the MIKE.

Harris probably has the highest football IQ on the team and has the raw God given talent that makes you simply shake your head. Now back to a lighter weight, after being heavier last year (at his coach’s request), there is NO ONE he will cover, no RB or QB he will chase, that can out run him. NO ONE.">He is a human heat seeking missile with an edge with speed to burn.

Last year in the OSU game, the Bucks had the ball in the third quarter at the MSU 39 and up 28-24. OSU QB JT Barrett was in the gun. Harris was in downfield coverage and when Barrett took off he came up the field and made an amazing and athletic open field tackle. That play showed excellent field awareness along with speed and of course smart sense to read that it wasn’t a fake by the OSU QB.

Weakness: Harris can become so focused that he can become one dimensional. Rarely, and I mean RARELY, will you be able to critique a player for being too focused, but you can with Harris. There have been times in his career that he was his own worst enemy. There are very few football players in America that you can say this about, let alone on the Spartans: Harris is nearly impossible to stop, but he can stop himself.

Against OSU again, you saw MSU with a 7-0 lead in the first quarter with the Bucks having the ball at their own 29 and facing a first and ten. There was 9:34 on the clock. Barrett was in the gun with a RB lined up behind him. It was a speed option to the right and as usual Harris saw the play immediately. He locked in like a missile, but had a WR come over and stop him. Harris was so focused on the play he got what Narduzzi calls “Solid eyes” for the ball and forgot to look for what was around him. The play went for 12 yards and had Harris not locked in he could have avoided the block for a tackle.

Now part of the problem was that he came into camp heavier and was a step slow last year. This year with the weight loss he may have just ran away from the WR, but using all of his talents is what will propel him to the NFL.

Final Analysis: Harris is a gentleman. That has hurt him on the field at times to be honest. I know that there were times some on staff felt he didn’t push players as much ahead of him on the depth chart who were his friends. Simply, he is kind. That is great off the field, but you must be a stone cold wrecking machine on it.

He comes from an amazing family with two outstanding parents and he shows it. He is the kind of football player every coach wants, the son every parent hopes for, the kind of young man every dad begs God that his daughter will marry, and is a rock star in the classroom.

He is lean, mean, and on a mission. He is sick of hearing how talented he is. Harris is hungry. He must keep off the field (not bad things) distractions from clouding his vision at times. He has been hindered in the past when things that aren’t bad, but still things, got in the way of football off the field. If he doesn’t allow that to happen he has a real shot at the NFL.

The belief is that he is focused in now, at a leaner weight, stronger than an ox with all the talent in the world, and the sky is the limit for what he can do this season. He has ZERO excuses. He is one of the top naturally God given talented players on this team and it’s time for him to seize this moment. Right now. If he does, there won’t be a better outside LB in the Big Ten other than possibly Ed Davis, and Harris will end up on the All Big Ten first team.

His speed is going to give people fits and you watch. I don’t care if it’s an interception or a fumble recovery he will show that speed and take one to the house this year. Harris, Davis, and Bullough are going to be the best LB group in the nation. Yes, the nation. If Harris doesn’t get in his own way, watch for all the opponents left in his fumes when he turns the jets on.

Next up: RB Delton Williams