Once again, the Texas Longhorns are now in the mix with one of the nation’s premier prospects, and once again, Tom Herman and his staff headed outside of the state’s lines in pursuit of such a talent.
The latest example came on Friday afternoon, as Texas put an offer on the table for 2020 Gilbert (Az.) Higley weak-side defensive end Jason Harris.
Blessed to receive a Football offer from the Universiyy Of Texas! #Big12 #LongHorns pic.twitter.com/mnIiuYMkgB
— Jason Harris (@JSH8_8) January 11, 2019
With the Longhorns becoming the latest to offer the four-star edge rusher, Harris’ invitation list now features 17 programs from around the nation, with Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, and USC among those interested, and understandably so.
At 6’7, 220 pounds, Harris presents ideal length on the edge, so despite still being a bit raw mechanically and physically, he disrupts passing lanes and was a mainstay in the backfield, as he was last season en route to 32 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and four quarterback hurries.
Arizona is currently the perceived favorite for his services, owning each of his two Crystal Ball projections. However, Harris becoming just the third 2020 weak-side defensive end to add a Texas offer signifies the Longhorns interest in luring the highly-touted Arizona prospect away from home, just as Texas did throughout the 2019 cycle by signing Scottsdale (Az.) Notre Dame Preparatory wide receiver Jake Smith and Chandler (Az.) tight end Brayden Liebrock.
Gilbert is ranked as the nation’s No. 37 player, No. 4 weak-side defensive end, and as the No. 2 player in Arizona, per the 247Sports Composite.