Similar to most athletes trying to get attention from schools and scouts, Marcus Harris had his highlight reel pinned to his Twitter account.
What he didn’t know, is that this single tweet may have landed him a spot on the roster of a team just an hour down the road from his hometown, bringing him back to his home state Alabama.
When Auburn starting linebackers Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain saw Harris’ highlights on his Twitter, the duo knew that he was a player that could make Auburn better. The praise he got before even being seen on the field continues to pile up from teammates, as Harris continues to make himself known as one of the hardest workers on the field.
“He's just a dog on the field man, really explosive,” Pappoe said. “He had his highlight tape pinned on his Twitter profile and as soon as I watched it I was like ‘Oh yeah, we need this guy.”
Harris grew up just 45 minutes away from Auburn‘s campus in Alabama’s capital, Montgomery. He attended and played ball at Park Crossing High School, where he was rated as a 3-star edge rusher. The 250-pound recruit didn’t get the Auburn offer right out of high school and instead enrolled at Kansas University to continue his athletic and academic career.
After spending two years with the program where he started five games and led the team in tackles for loss, Harris entered his name in the transfer portal in May with a new destination in mind.
Just two weeks later, Auburn came calling. While he didn’t get a single SEC offer based on his play in high school, Auburn’s linebackers knew off his tape alone that this transfer could help the Tigers’ defense grow. A player with over two years left in his eligibility.
“I saw how hard he worked,” said Auburn linebacker Chandler Wooten. “I saw the desire, the hunger.”
Wooten wasn't the only one that saw it.
“I’m not surprised, because I saw him in summer and I was like ‘That guy looks impressive’,” said Auburn starting center Nick Brahms. “You look at him, he looks like an SEC lineman. We were doing one-on-ones in the summertime and I was like 'Yeah, he’s gonna contribute to us this year.”
Harris recorded a career-high six tackles in Auburn’s road win over Arkansas, three of which were solo. As he continues to impress teammates and shows an initiative to put in the work, Harris may see more snaps on the field in a few of Auburn’s most anticipated matchups.
“I love playing beside him,“ Wooden said. “I know I’ve got a partner in crime who’s gonna be out there with me to rally. He’s gonna do his job, do what we asked, and do more. So it’s just great playing with somebody who has exceptional pad level, strong as an ox, and he knows the game, cares about it as much as I do. That’s just fun to have, and I love playing beside him.”
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Larry is a senior studying journalism with a minor in sociology. He is from Enterprise, Alabama and is in his third year with The Auburn Plainsman.
Twitter: @ReportingLarry
