Maxing out: Arizona LB Harris has gotten the most out of ‘blessed’ college career

CHAPTER 1

Cardinal/Warhawk/Bobcat/Wildcat

Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales used an interesting word to describe senior linebacker Max Harris’ college football journey. Actually, it was many words; it might be physically impossible for the loquacious Gonzales to give a one-word answer.

Gonzales’ dubbed Harris’ multipronged but no-longer-unusual career path — from Incarnate Word to Louisiana-Monroe to Texas State to Arizona — as “my sad version of what’s happening in college football.”

But Gonzales also recognized that Harris might be uniquely equipped to handle it — and that he had a valid reason for making every one of those moves.

“Max Harris is one of the coolest human beings,” Gonzales said, “and his leadership skills have given him an ability to be a leader at all four of those spots.”

Harris is naturally outgoing. Gonzales recalled a team-building competition in spring run by a group called “The Program.”

“It's kind of a Navy SEAL training-ish type deal,” Gonzales said. “They asked for somebody to step up to be a leader. Bam, that sucker ran out and was the first one to hop out in front of the football team, a new guy. And nobody batted an eye.”

Harris had only arrived in Tucson in January. But he’s always been adept at adapting to new situations.

Harris’ family moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Arlington, Texas, when he was a youth. Another move prompted a transfer midway through high school. Then, four colleges in four years.

Everywhere he’s gone, Harris has produced. He enters the Holiday Bowl matchup against SMU with the fourth-most tackles (75) on a defense that ranks among the nation’s best.

“I think I adjust well to things,” Harris said. “Playing football has helped me do that. You can prepare all week, and then they come out with a whole different thing. That's how I approached it. I apply football to the game of life a lot.”

Besides, Harris added, “I didn't think it could go downhill for me. I only saw it really going uphill.”

Harris was a zero-star recruit coming out of Mansfield Legacy High School. He had offers from the military academies and two FCS schools, Incarnate Word and Lamar. He also had the opportunity to join some bigger FBS programs as a preferred walk-on. He felt more wanted by the schools that offered him a scholarship and picked Incarnate Word.

But before Harris even signed in December 2021, Cardinals head coach Eric Morris left for Washington State. Harris played his freshman year for G.J. Kinne — who left Incarnate Word after one year to become the head coach at Texas State.

Harris was ready to move on and move up. He transferred to Louisiana-Monroe, which plays in the Sun Belt. At the end of his sophomore season, ULM fired head coach Terry Bowden.

Harris reunited with Kinne and his staff at Texas State, which also plays in the Sun Belt. But Harris still wasn’t satisfied: He wanted to prove he could play at a power-conference school. Arizona became his final destination.

Harris — who wears an ever-present smile as if he were an extra on “Pluribus” — conceded to feeling frustrated about those initial recruiting snubs. “I felt like it was a matter of people just not wanting to take a chance on me,” he said.

It worked out well in the end.

“I'm very blessed to be in the shoes that I am in right now,” Harris said. “I was blessed from the start because I had a scholarship in the first place.

“A lot of people don't get to just keep going school to school and still play and still be on scholarship. So I'm blessed for all of it. And then especially ending up here. It was a chance that a lot of people said not to take, too, but I'm glad that I did.”

CHAPTER 2

Running back/linebacker/safety

Gonzales had a strong suspicion that Harris and Riley Wilson would be positive additions to Arizona’s linebacker room — even though he and the UA staff had little in-person time with them. The transfer portal is a whirlwind; decisions that can bring teams together or blow up locker rooms have to be made within 24-48 hours.

“Spending a little bit of time with them, you can get a feel,” Gonzales said. “I'm pretty opinionated, obviously. So if they rub me the wrong way, I'm moving on. I won't take a chance to bring somebody in that will ruin this culture.”

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While scouting Harris, Gonzales noticed how communicative he was on the field. It was even evident on the TV copies of Harris’ games with Texas State.

“He was the one walking up to the line of scrimmage, making checks,” Gonzales said. “He was the one turning to the secondary. So I knew his football IQ ... without speaking to a coach.”

At Arizona, Harris became the player Gonzales entrusted to wear the green dot on his helmet. That means Harris is the guy Gonzales talks to through his headset before the snap.

Harris developed his football IQ by playing multiple positions. In high school, he played running back and safety. At ULM, he played a hybrid safety-linebacker position.

Those experiences enable Harris to be effective against both the run and pass. Harris has 32 defensive stops, which Pro Football Focus defines as tackles that constitute a failure for the offense. That figure leads Arizona and ranked 23rd among all Big 12 defenders entering bowl season.

“I'm a fast learner, and I'm a vocal person,” Harris said. “I just want to make sure everybody's on the same page ... because we're playing as a defense, as a unit. I just want to make sure that we’re all getting it done.”

Knowing what he’s doing also helps. Harris is a meticulous notetaker in meetings, according to linebackers coach Josh Bringuel.

“He's thoughtful about everything,” Bringuel said. “As a coach, those are the type of players you love, because if you say one thing a little bit unclearly, he's gonna go, ‘Well, Coach, you said it like this.’

“In the classroom, he handles it the right way. ... And on the grass, he flies around. He's physical in the box.”

In an alternate reality, Harris would be the one trying to avoid hits. He rushed for 734 yards and seven touchdowns over two varsity seasons at Mansfield Legacy. Air Force, Harris said, wanted him as a running back.

No one runs the ball more than the service academies. Harris could have gotten a ton of touches.

“That's what they were trying to sell on me,” he said, laughing. “‘You’re gonna get 32 carries a game.’”

CHAPTER 3

Singer/songwriter

Harris wants to give pro football a shot when this season is over. A coach at ULM told Harris he’d make a good coach because of his people skills.

“It's not the first thing on my mind right now,” Harris said. “But listening to a lot of my coaches that I've had, that's never the first thing that's on their mind, and then they end up doing it.”

Harris has thought about becoming a strength coach. Perhaps a chiropractor. Or maybe a musician.

Harris likes to make music in his spare time, and he put out his first full-length album on Dec. 5 under the name “PMH.” Harris’ birth name is Preston Maximus Harris. He’s always gone by “Max.”

The album, titled “Just the Beginning,” features mostly soulful love songs. Harris is a fan of Christian R&B and reggae, among other genres. His current favorite artists include Giveon and Madison Ryann Ward.

Harris used to help write songs for a friend in high school.

“It became one of those things,” he said. “I just made my first R&B song in March. And then I made a couple more.”

It became a 12-track album that’s available on Apple Music and other platforms. Some of the songs feature UA teammates Chubba Maae, Nela Taliauli and Michael Wooten.

“I don't have a game system,” Harris said. “So while (most teammates are) playing a game, I like to write music.

“I don't know if it's necessarily much deeper than (that). I like listening to music. When I listen to other artists, I'm inspired. ‘Oh, I like the sound.’”

Off the field, Harris is finding his voice. On it, he’s already there.