Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 7 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / D E F E N S I V E B A C K S / / / / / / / A .J. Harris can recall with clar- ity the moment when his career trajectory changed. It was a bad moment, but it became a defining one, helping turn him into the player he is heading into his junior season — a pre- season All-American and a potential first-round choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. With six minutes re- maining in the fourth quarter of Penn State's visit to USC last October, Harris lined up opposite receiver Kyron Hudson at the Nit- tany Lions' 5-yard line. Af- ter the snap, Hudson stutter- stepped to his left and then broke to his right on a crossing route. Harris' jam did virtually nothing to impede the receiver, who gained separation for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown that put the home team up, 30-23, with 5:56 to go. Hudson's score was the first touch- down Harris had ever surrendered at the college level. He had played 89 defensive snaps as a freshman at Georgia in 2023 and 204 snaps in his first five games at Penn State last fall, and he had never al- lowed an opposing pass catcher to reach the end zone. Harris was angry about it. Very angry. Anyone watching the visitors' sideline saw it. Longtime PSU cornerbacks coach Terry Smith saw it, too. But Smith is a former Penn State let- terman, and there's an advantage to having coaches who were high- level performers during their own playing days: They've seen it all, and they usually know what to say to help de-escalate stressful situations. W i t h H a r r i s fuming, Smith d e l i v e r e d a short and sim- ple message: Be present. Stay in the moment. Harris took that advice to heart. "The emotions were high," he recalled. "But we still have a game to win at the end of the day. That was just a les- son in itself. … I'm not bigger than the team, and I have to finish this game for my team. "For me, it was something Coach T mentioned to me — just be where your feet are. Everything else will take care of itself." The Nittany Lions took care of their late seven-point deficit, scoring the ty- ing touchdown with just under three minutes to play and eventually winning the game in overtime, 33-30. The victory kept Penn State unbeaten and on track for an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The touchdown by Hudson — a rival who became a teammate over the winter when he transferred to PSU — helped shape the 6-foot-1, 191-pound Harris into who he is on and off the field today. A native of Phenix City, Ala., he's hoping to be part of a national championship season at Penn State this fall. He would love to rack up some big interceptions along the way, but individual goals are subservient to his primary objective, which is to do whatever is necessary for the team to succeed. That moment in the Los Angeles Coliseum drove home the need to stay focused. "My mindset is to just be where your feet are, be in the moment, and just get better every day," Harris said. "Embrace the leadership role in my room, continue to try to get my guys in my room better, and just stay locked in on the present moment. "When you think about the future or the past too much, you don't take advan- tage of where you are in the current mo- ment. Being in the moment and trying to capitalize on where I am right now and focus [is important] so that I'll be ready for the season." A 'Take Action' Guy Harris spoke to BWI just after a lift- ing session had wrapped up inside the Lasch Building, one of many with his teammates this summer. He is not the oldest player on the team or even in his position room (redshirt junior Audavion Collins holds that honor), but nonetheless, he is a leader. During the 2024 season, Harris led the cornerbacks in tackles (48) and stops for loss (4), and he was tied for second on the team with 5 pass breakups. He earned an 81.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, third-best on the team and tops among the defensive backs, and he was a consensus third-team All-Big Ten choice. It's through his actions, not his words, that he hopes to bring the rest of his po- sition group along with him, but he's not afraid to speak up when he needs to. "I don't really have to be that vo- cal to the whole team," Harris said. "This guy will be an All-American candidate. He's fantastic and he's locked in. He's super smart. He's working on his mental game. I'm really happy with where he's at right now." C O R N E R B A C K S C O A C H T E R R Y S M I T H Scholarship Players (16) No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Cornerback 2 Audavion Collins R-Jr. 5-11 180 5 Daryus Dixson Fr. 6-0 191 4 A.J. Harris Jr. 6-1 191 15 Joshua Johnson Fr. 6-2 192 23 Jahmir Joseph Fr. 6-0 189 12 Xxavier Thomas Fr. 5-11 183 7 Zion Tracy Jr. 5-11 180 9 Elliot Washington II Jr. 5-11 199 17 Kenny Woseley Jr. R-Fr. 5-10 180 Safety 3 Antoine Belgrave-Shorter R-Fr. 6-0 200 10 Dejuan Lane So. 6-2 212 16 King Mack Jr. 5-10 187 27 Lamont Payne Jr. R-So. 6-0 190 14 Braz Thomas Fr. 6-2 203 21 Vaboue Toure R-Fr. 6-1 210 6 Zakee Wheatley R-Sr. 6-2 200