E'Marion Harris Looking to Continue to Carve own Path With Oklahoma

NORMAN — E’Marion Harris was destined to be a college football player.

His father, Elliott, was a defensive lineman for Arkansas from 2001-04, and his first Division I offer came when he was just 13.

From Nick Saban and Alabama.

“When I got the Bama offer, I just kind of knew right then and there that it’s time to go to work,” Harris, now a redshirt senior transfer offensive lineman at Oklahoma, said last week at the Sooners’ newcomers’ media day. “I’m D-I, I’ve got to go to work now.”

Looking back nearly a decade later, Harris said the offer was a transformational moment for him.

“Being that young, it definitely was a lot of pressure, just because my first offer was Bama,” Harris said. “I got offered by Nick Saban, like, ‘Oh my God.’ But I mean just growing up and just realizing, I feel like it was a motivational thing. Like I got an offer from them but let’s see how many more I can get.”

Though Saban was the first to come calling, Harris did rack up the offers, though he eventually chose to stay in his home state of Arkansas, commit to the Razorbacks, and follow in his father’s footsteps.

It was a former Oklahoma offensive line coach — Sam Pittman — that convinced him to head to Fayetteville.

“I just loved him,” Harris said. “He made it feel like home, and he was offensive-line minded.”

When Pittman was fired five games into last season, Harris started to think about finishing his college career elsewhere.

“It was definitely tough, because we had talent,” Harris said. “So going out there every week and then knowing we have talent just to keep coming up short, it’s kind of hard.”

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So Harris started looking for a place that gave him the same sense of home that he found at Arkansas.

He found that in Norman with Brent Venables, who made a quick impression.

“He just always mentioned God first,” Harris said. “That’s something I just never got in a head coach that just always spoke about God first.”

Harris’ father supported his decision, making it much easier for him to leave Fayetteville.

“He always told me wherever I wanted to go is my decision,” Harris said. “He really left it up to me to decide.”

Sooners’ general manager Jim Nagy called Harris “a huge add for us.”

“Another guy that gives us position flexibility,” Nagy said.

Harris was a staple of Arkansas’ offensive line the last two seasons.

In 2024, he split his time between right tackle and left guard before playing almost exclusively right tackle last season.

That’s where he figures to slide in for the Sooners, likely opposite left tackle Michael Fasusi and next to right guard Ryan Fodje.

Fodje and Derek Simmons split time as Oklahoma’s starter at right tackle a year ago.

Harris has fit in well so far with the group.

“Them guys work hard,” Harris said of the Sooners’ young offensive line corps. “They always push me every day to work hard.”

Harris has also developed a bond with quarterback John Mateer.

“He’s a great leader,” Harris said. “He knows when to turn it on and then he’s definitely playful too.”

Harris said Mateer’s relationship with the offensive line reminded him of former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, who Harris played in front of in the 2022 Liberty Bowl against Kansas.

“He helped me a lot that game,” Harris said. “A quarterback being able to help an offensive line, just knowing the playbook better, and just knowing what to do on the field is definitely helpful.”