\*Note: Name links to official K-State Bio.
**Position:** Running Back **Height:** 6’1 **Weight:** 215 **Hometown:** St. Louis, Missouri **High School:** Timberland **Recruiting Class:** 2022 **Former Team**: Northwest Missouri State, Oregon **Eligibility Remaining**: 1 Season – Redshirt Senior **High School Recruiting Rankings:** Not Ranked **Transfer Portal Rankings:** 3\*(86.24) – National Rank: 1064 – Running Back: 93
Part of the running back rotation.
I’ll never understand why a player like Jay Harris decides to play for a team like Oregon. I get “betting on yourself” and whatnot, but Harris was never going to be able to show what he can do in the Ducks’ loaded backfield. They had significantly more resources tied up in their other backs, making the road to the top of the depth chart even rockier for a 3\*, DII transfer. The thing is, when he did manage to get on the field, he was productive. The best game of his Oregon career came against Indiana in the CFP Semi-Final after the Ducks ran out of running backs. He ran hard, but the Hoosier defense locked down the entire Oregon offense. He did have an impressive touchdown run where he overpowered a couple of Hoosier defenders at the goal line, and that will be one of his roles for Kansas State. Looking at his film and listening to the chatter coming from K-State circles after spring practice, I think it’s premature to mark him down as the short-yardage back in what looks like a 3-headed Wildcat rushing attack. He’s definitely the hammer in a room of otherwise smaller backs, but that doesn’t mean he’s strictly a battering ram. I was impressed with his hands out of the backfield against Indiana, and while the film is limited, he certainly didn’t look slow and lumbering on film. He has all the tools to win the starting job in fall camp. I don’t think he will, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if his ability to grind out yards between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield doesn’t earn him more carries in the Collin Klein offense than people anticipate. He brings an aggressive, angry running style to the game, and that’s something that could pair well in a “thunder and lightning” setup with Avery Johnson. With Harris as the back, the defense has to respect his ability to pick up yards in the A and B gap, which could give Avery an extra step to get to the perimeter, and on several occasions last season, he was a step away from breaking something big. I can imagine a world where he takes over as the starter this season, not because he’s the best back on the roster (he might be, I have no clue), but because he’s the best compliment to Avery. I also would not be surprised if he leads the team in touchdowns. He might end up as the preferred redzone back because when the field gets smaller, Harris can still use his physical running to plow forward and gain the extra yards through contact. Jackson and Johnson struggled to pick up last season. Harris has a clear role in the offense as a short-yardage back from day 1 and could expand that role further as the season progresses.
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