Better Know a Buckeye: Jaylen Harris

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Jaylen Harris, a wide receiver from Cleveland.

Harris acquired major offers just before his junior year and could have immediately committed to marquee programs like Alabama, Michigan, or Ohio State in 2015. However, Harris chose to wait and research his options during the course of his recruitment. This resulted in some urgency later in the recruiting cycle when Harris looked to commit and when Ohio State was squaring its scholarship situation. The opening at Ohio State emerged this January, allowing for Harris' January 13 commitment to Ohio State over competing interest from Michigan State and Penn State.

I retell this story below and discuss why he chose Ohio State over other major offers. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report of a big-bodied wide receiver that Ohio State could use in its wide receiver rotation. I close with a projection of a redshirt in 2017 and highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Jaylen Harris had an unusual recruitment considering how recruitments for top Ohio prospects who land at Ohio State typically unfold. Most Ohio prospects who land at Ohio State start with small offer sheets from MAC schools but ultimately select Ohio State well before signing day. Harris, by contrast, started with two offers from Kentucky and Michigan and waited until near the end of the recruiting cycle to make his decision.

Harris' offer from Kentucky as well as his performance in the Rival Camp Series event in the spring of 2015 in Cleveland were Harris' first exposure on the recruiting trail. However, the Michigan offer generated more headlines. Michigan offered Jaylen Harris on April 24, 2015, less than four months into Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor. That would make Harris one of Michigan's first offers in the 2017 recruiting cycle. Harris noted the offer was a "blessing," but he grew up rooting for Ohio State. That said, he looked forward to learning more about Michigan on the recruiting trail.

More offers came. Prominently, Harris visited Tennessee the day after he received word of his Michigan offer. Tennessee offered ten days later. His recruitment extended into the summer of 2015 in which camp visits to Ohio State and Alabama resulted in spot offers. Urban Meyer pulled Harris and his parents into his office to extend an offer the camp concluded. Harris noted the offer was "big" but that it was too early to be making a decision.

Harris' recruitment continued but without the twists and turns these profiles usually feature. Minus a Penn State offer on December 30, 2015, every program of consequence in Harris' recruitment had already offered him by the end of his sophomore year. Harris' approach to his recruitment prioritized diligence over headlines and publicly whittling his list of top programs. Thus, his August 2016 announcement of a "top five" constitutes fast-forward point in this account of his recruitment notwithstanding some noteworthy offers (e.g. Georgia, Miami) during his junior year.

Truly Blessed, final 5 pic.twitter.com/DF4WjumByt

— Jaylen Harris (@JHarris5_) August 4, 2016

This top five resulted in just three official visits. The first visit was to Penn State for its season-defining win against Ohio State. Harris' remarks from the experience were glowing the extent to which Penn State's atmosphere that game overwhelmed recruits and Ohio State players alike. Harris visited Michigan State a few days after its season ended for his official visit.

Ohio State's official visit was next and coincided with a sense of urgency for both the Buckeyes and Harris. Signing day was just around the corner. Tyjon Lindsey had decommitted from Ohio State in favor of Nebraska. Donovan Peoples-Jones, a long-time target on Ohio State's wishlist at wide receiver, pledged to Michigan in the middle of December and enrolled in January. Ohio State wanted Harris in its class and had an opening for him if he wanted to join. Knowing Ohio State had figured out its scholarship situation was enough for Harris to make the pledge a week before his official visit.

HIS COMMITMENT

Jaylen Harris committed to Ohio State as the 19th member of what would become its full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over Michigan State and Penn State. Harris took a unique route to his pledge by teaming with the Plain Dealer to make a video for his decision.

The comments that Harris made about the decision largely underscore that Ohio State was his dream school. His formative football moments involved watching Troy Smith throw to Ted Ginn, Jr. Knowing Ohio State had an opening for him was enough for him to commit to the Buckeyes notwithstanding the attention he received from other major programs far and wide.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Harris' arrival into the fold comes at a time when Ohio State's coaches realized it lacked size at wide receiver. It's why the coaching staff welcomed Harris and next week's profile, Elijah Gardner, this January. It's also why the coaching staff did not mind seeing Tyjon Lindsey decommit just a few weeks before signing day.

Harris' frame makes him an attractive candidate for an outside wide receiver who aligns on the line of scrimmage. He also demonstrates a good field awareness and body control that bigger wide receiver prospects tend to lack. He shows an ability to position himself at the top of his route to make an important catch. He has nice, soft hands for the position too.

Further, his size makes him an attractive downfield blocker. Wide receiver blocking is how four-yard run plays become 40-yard run plays. That will endear him to a coaching staff that prioritizes the run.

MUST WORK ON

Bigger wide receivers, certainly those who play multiple sports and thus do not focus on football in the offseason, are not the best route runners. This is definitely true for Harris. He will have a big playbook to learn and a lot of nuance he will need to acquire to thrive at the position.

Further, Harris is not the most explosive player. He is not a threat to take it to the house after the catch. However, he is not particularly explosive out his cuts either. He's a smooth runner, but not particularly fast.

REDSHIRT?

Noah Brown's departure means Ohio State needs a bigger outside wide receiver in 2017. I don't think that's Jaylen Harris this year. He should redshirt, learn the playbook, and acquire some nuance in his route-running before making the most of his opportunities in 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are junior-year highlights for Harris.