 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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Iowa offers juco running back
The national signing period begins Wednesday, Iowa has 19 commitments
Southwestern College (Chula Vista, Calif.) running back Aaron Harris received an offer from the University of Iowa on Friday. Harris rushed for 1,128 yards in 2009. (Star-News, Chula Vista)
This is the last college football recruiting weekend and it’s busy in Iowa City.
You’ve followed the Hawkeyes carefully the last few seasons. You know how brutal attrition at the running back spot has been. With two prep commitments in tow, Iowa threw out another offer this week to Southwestern College’s Aaron Harris.
According to HawkeyeReport.com, the 6-0, 200-pounder will visit Cincinnati this week and visit Iowa on Feb. 3, after the national signing period begins Wednesday.
Harris rushed for 1,128 yards in 2009. He suffered a shoulder injury and sat out the 2010 season. Last year, he had 900 rushing yards.
Harris holds offers from Iowa, Cincinnati and Colorado State.
Harris told HR.com that Iowa is offering immediate playing time, which should be expected with Marcus Coker’s departure.
“Coach [Eric] Johnson came out to see me on Tuesday and talked about their running back situation and how I would fit in there,” Harris said. “He said two of their running backs ended up transferring and all they have left is a walk-on and some younger guys. They are in need of someone with experience and if I were to go there, I would have more college experience than anyone.”
Last fall, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz mentioned rather consistently the lack of decisiveness on Coker’s part in the running game. Harris doesn’t seem to have that problem.
“There are two kinds of running backs, VHS and digital,” Southwestern coach Mike Carberry said in The Sun, the SWC school newspaper. “A VHS running back sees it, thinks about it and then does it. A digital guy sees it, thinks it and does it all at once. Harris is a digital running back.”
Iowa remains in the running for several players in the next few days, including Colorado O-lineman Alex Kozan (Iowa, Auburn and Michigan), linebacker Quanzell Lambert (committed to Rutgers, but told Rivals.com that he’s “keeping his options open” in the wake of the departure of head coach Greg Schiano) and defensive tackle Aaron Curry (Iowa, TCU, Missouri and Nebraska).
The national signing period begins Wednesday. Iowa has 19 commitments.
Here’s a highlight YouTube of Aaron Harris:
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It seems like this would be a pretty critical recruit. I’m glad that Ferentz & Co. have been willing to go the juco route this year. Seems like a pretty logical step when you are perpetually losing underclassmen to attrition. Plus, I would think juco players are as deserving of a chance to play D1 as their classmates who made it right out of high school.
This is the kind of back we haven’t had at Iowa for a while. Looks like he doesn’t stop on his cuts very fluid. Looks like he is much faster and explosive than some of the backs we have had recently. Thats at 200 pounds! This would be a great “get” for the Hawkeyes. Along with Hill, who is such and aggressive runner I think they’ll complement each other.
Having never heard of Aaron Harris and just now seeing his highlight video, I have to say that I absolutely love watching this guy run!!! Is that real time speed? Because that is crazy fast!
Kind of takes the sting away from losing Coker and McCall.