3-Star DT Juan Harris Commits To Indiana
Juan Harris, a three-star defensive tackle out of Janesville, Wisconsin, has committed to Indiana. He announced his decision Monday night through Twitter.
Harris, who previously decommitted from Iowa three separate occasions, is ranked No. 34 at defensive tackle by Rivals. The 6-foot-3, 355-pound prospect chose Indiana over a final three that also included Illinois and Minnesota.
He is the tenth player to join the 2017 class and the fourth at defensive tackle.
Speaking to The Hoosier earlier this month, Harris talked at length about how connected he felt to defensive line coach Mark Hagen. The two began talking when Hagen initially started recruiting Harris to play at Texas A&M.
When Hagen realized Harris was back on the market looking for a school, he told Harris Indiana was a place he could help build the defense from the ground up. That caught Harris' attention.
"My relationship with Coach Hagen runs deep," Harris said earlier this month. "They want me to come in and play early as a freshman."
Harris became certain he wanted to play in the Big Ten over the last year because of the conference's reputation for being strong in the trenches. He said he wanted to go where the competition he would be facing is the toughest in the country.
"You talk about defensive tackles, offensive tackles, the Big Ten is the place to be," Harris said. "If you want to develop as a lineman, you need to go to the Big Ten."
At Indiana, Harris is going to get his chance alongside an incoming 2017 class that includes fellow three-star defensive linemen Britt Beery (Carmel, Indiana), Alfred Bryant (Manvel, Texas) and LeShaun Minor (Clearwater, Florida).
Harris spent the last year moving between homes after his father passed away from gun violence in Chicago last November. He missed virtually all of his sophomore season because of transfer rules when he switched high schools.
Harris, who wants to study business, last reported that he weighs 355 pounds after once getting near 420 pounds during the peak of his off-the-field family troubles. He said he looks forward to being on the field again as a commit so he can sharpen up his craft.
Reflecting on the last few months, Harris said he's thankful to be in a position where he can attend a college on scholarship. At Indiana, he'll continue to play the game he's grown up with and receive an education that can't be taken away.
“I’m really fortunate to be where I am because of football,” Harris said. “This is a huge opportunity for me to be who I want to be.”
