Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
M A R C H 2 0 2 5 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / P L A Y E R B I O S / / / / / / / P enn State picked up an un- der-the-radar recruit back in June 2024 when Cortez Harris committed on the last day of his official visit weekend. A three-star defensive end from Largo, Md., Harris had already put in two highly pro- ductive seasons at Riverdale Baptist, which is why schools like Maryland, Tennessee and others had been battling PSU for his services. In the end, Har- ris' relationship with defensive line coach Deion Barnes and his familiarity with the program helped Penn State emerge vic- torious. "I feel like I've known Coach Barnes for a long time now, and that relation- ship goes a long way," Harris said. "He's a great guy. I love him. We talked a lot about ball and how he sees me fitting in. He said he sees me as a Chop Robinson kind of player. I'm a little shorter than him, but he thinks he can really build my muscle up and point me in the right direction." It was not just the coaching staff who helped in this recruitment. Two mem- bers of the Nittany Lions' current roster also played a role, as did a pair of former players. "My [official visit] host was one of the players who grew up in D.C., my boy from Friendship Collegiate Academy, De'Andre Cook," Harris said, referring to the Lions' redshirt freshman defen- sive tackle. "I played against him before, and we've had a good friendship ever since, so it was really good catching up with him and seeing how he's doing." "I talked to Abdul Carter, too. He's a real good dude. I also saw LaVar Ar- rington and Saquon [Barkley] up here, too. That was a lot of fun. It was crazy seeing those guys." Harris was off to a strong start as a senior. He amassed 15 tackles, including 6.5 sacks, and also blocked a kick before suffering an undisclosed injury early in the year. He ended up playing in only four games last fall, but while the in- jury brought a premature end to his prep career, it didn't change the way Penn State viewed the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender. Harris will arrive on campus later this year. While a redshirt season is likely, the Lions like what they have to work with for the future, and Harris is undoubtedly hun- gry to get back on the field and prove what he can do at the col- lege level. An all-around athlete who also excelled as a basketball player, Harris offers explosive power, and it's something Penn State fans can expect to see be- fore too long. "Cortez is a guy that's been dunking since seventh grade," Penn State coach James Frank- lin told the Big Ten Network in February. "He got injured his senior year, but if you go on his Twitter page, it's pretty impressive watching him dunk in seventh grade. He's a great athlete. He missed most of his senior year, so that impacted him, but [he's another] guy who we think is explosive." — Greg Pickel Harris, who missed most of his senior season with an injury, chose Penn State over Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. PHOTO COURTESY CORTEZ HARRIS CORTEZ HARRIS Maryland edge rusher ready to resume his career in State College DE | 6-3 | 205 Riverdale Baptist Largo, Md. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★ 435 41 14 On3 ★★★ — 55 14 247Sports ★★★ — 38 14 ESPN ★★★★ 264 28 8 Rivals ★★★ — 42 15 Statistics • Recorded 15 tackles and 6.5 sacks as a se- nior • Made 26 stops, including 6 sacks, as a junior • Had 20 tackles and 15 sacks as a sophomore Notable • Led Riverdale Baptist to a 22-2 record during his final two seasons • Played in just four games as a senior due to an injury Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on June 23, 2024 • Recruited by defensive line coach Deion Barnes • Picked Penn State over Maryland, Tennes- see and Virginia Tech • Officially visited on June 21, 2024 2025 Projection Penn State returns a potential All-American at defensive end in senior Dani Dennis-Sutton, and there's also a quality transfer in that room (redshirt junior Enai White, formerly of Texas A&M), along with several younger returnees who are ready to earn spots on the depth chart. Given the talent that's returning, as well as the fact that he's coming off an injury and is not an early enrollee, Harris is a prime can- didate for a redshirt year. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Harris looks like a very good fit for Penn State. He's a passionate defender who plays with the controlled, intelligent aggression you want from a defensive lineman. He's got the men- tal makeup and enough skills to make him a quality prospect for defensive line coach Deion Barnes." T H E H A R R I S F I L E