Arizona is digging into its past to help its future.
On Aug. 5, Jalen Harris announced a verbal commitment to Arizona's 2017 recruiting class. This commitment is a significant one for the Wildcats on a few levels.
One, it keeps one of Arizona's top recruits — Harris plays at Desert Ridge in Mesa — in state. Harris is rated a 3-star athlete by Scout.com and picked the Wildcats over offers from Arizona State and Oregon, amongst others.
— Jalen Harris (@JHarr8245) August 5, 2016
Two, he's a legacy recruit. His father, Sean Harris, played linebacker for Dick Tomey's Desert Swarm-era defense and his uncle, Lamar Harris, played tight end at Arizona in the early 1990s. Both his father and uncle are also Tucson High products.
Lastly, Harris fills a position of need. He's capable of playing both receiver and defensive end, but will more than likely play defense for the Wildcats. At his size — he's listed at 6 foot 4 and 210 pounds — he has potential as a sort of linebacker/defensive end hybrid. As a junior at Desert Ridge, he had 17.5 sacks.
Harris is the 25th player to commit to Arizona's 2017 class, and the fourth in-state recruit to pledge to UA. The others are Sabino's Drew Dixon, Catalina Foothills' Rhett Rodriguez and Gilbert Higley's Bryce Gilbert.
Simply put " YES" The best in ARIZONA SIMPLY STAY & PLAY @ ARIZONA🔴🔵 BEARDOWN🏆🏆
— Charlie Ragle (@RagleCharlie) August 5, 2016
