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FOOTBALL RECRUITING: All-American Harris commits to Michigan, concludes crazy recruiting period
What a wild, strange trip it’s been.
The college recruitment of Grand Rapids Christian two-sport superstar Drake Harris was a circus, to say the least.
Now it’s over.
Harris (6-foot-3 ½ 175 pounds), an all-state selection in football (wide receiver) and basketball (point guard) and one of the most heavily-coveted gridiron prospects in the nation, committed to play football in college at the University of Michigan over the weekend, bringing an end to a whirlwind six months.
Originally, Harris had committed to Michigan State for basketball, with the idea of dabbling on the gridiron at the college-level.
Then his 2012 prep football campaign took place and sent him into the stratosphere, catapulting him to elite status, as some recruiting services labeled Harris the No. 1 split end in the entire country.
His epic effort last season, where he became only the 12th prepster in American history to ever eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in receptions (2,011), fueled the frenzy. In leading his team to a state championship, he awed the Ford Field crowd in the state finals, catching eight balls for a record 243 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown bomb.
Suddenly, the high-profile junior hoops recruit had almost every premiere Division I college football program banging on his front door and attempting to secure his services, not to mention first convince him to give up his dreams on the hardwood in favor of a future that could very possibly take him into the NFL.
Obviously, he was listening intently – a few months back he announced the he was de-committing from Michigan State for basketball and re-opening his recruitment, this time solely focusing on football.
On Saturday, Harris attended Michigan’s spring game. He is the Wolverines’ sixth commitment in the 2014 recruiting class and twelfth commitment to a Division I college from an in-state junior. Earlier this month, he was selected to play in next winter’s Under Armor All-American Game.
This winter on the basketball floor, Harris averaged 26 points and eight assists per game and took his Grand Rapids Christian team into the Class A final four. Following a loss in the semifinals to eventual state-champion Romulus, he declared that he was giving up his cage career for good and next season he would not be suiting up.
Michigan got the nod from Harris over two dozen additional prestigious scholarship offers.
