5 reasons why Brandon Harris is a great addition for North Carolina Football
By Zach Bigalke
Brandon Harris recently announced his transfer to North Carolina football. Here are five reasons why it could be a great move for the Tar Heels in 2017.
It was no secret that Brandon Harris was leaving LSU, as the quarterback began to scout schools once Les Miles was out the door. On Sunday afternoon, Harris announced that North Carolina will be his destination to play out his final season of eligibility for the Tar Heels. He plans to complete his degree at LSU by June, which will make him immediately eligible to play for Larry Fedora.
Obviously, it has been an important time for me, looking for a great situation and another opportunity to grow as a…
Posted by QB Brandon Harris on Sunday, March 26, 2017
Harris arrived in Baton Rouge with so much promise, and he seemed to offer immediate upside for an SEC and national contender. But because he was expected to be otherworldly immediately, Harris leaves his home state after having been oft-ridiculed for his performances with the Tigers. Now he heads to Chapel Hill and leaves behind the SEC for a shot at an ACC title.
Many will look at this as a foolish reach by a North Carolina program after first-round hopeful Mitch Trubisky declared for the NFL Draft. But here are five reasons why this could be a brilliant move by the Tar Heels as they seek to reload for 2017.
5. Harris was underdeveloped over three years at LSU
It isn’t like Brandon Harris lacks talent. The Bossier City native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was rated the third-ranked dual threat quarterback in the country in 2014.
While it seems odd in retrospect, he immediately showed promise as he challenged for the starting position in his freshman year. But it isn’t like Harris was an anomaly as a Tigers prospect who never fully reached his potential at the quarterback position, and that comes down less to his potential than the failure of Les Miles and his coaching staff to develop Harris.
That failure is a major reason why Miles is no longer the head coach in Baton Rouge. Throughout his time as the head coach of the Bayou Bengals, Miles and his coaching staff consistently brought in high-rated quarterback recruits and consistently failed to develop them into more than raw talents trying to obsolete offense.
Harris remains a 6-foot-3, 206-pound quarterback who has a decent arm and can run the ball well, and better coaching could result in immediate gains.