When CJ Harris suited up for his first practice as a collegiate quarterback, he knew that his dreams were coming true. Putting on his pads, lacing up his cleats and donning his green and white practice jersey was a symbolic moment.
“I’ve been dreaming of this pretty much since I was a kid,” Harris said. “To have a chance to put my name out there into the world as ‘CJ Harris, a collegiate football player,’ it was great to put the pads on. It was a beautiful experience.”
Harris, however, had no idea what problems he and the Bobcats would face over the ensuing six months.
Enrolling early into Ohio’s football program, Harris had expectations to become a better player and earn minutes for the fall through his hard work in the spring. His opportunity was cut short after spring football practices were suspended in order to prevent further spread of an ever-growing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of giving up or backing down from a tough situation, Harris chose to tough it out and take it all as a learning lesson.
“It kind of messed up my mental game a little bit,” Harris said. “Life throws crazy stuff at you everyday but you just have to adapt to it and be able to go on your way. I went out there and just kept trying to get bigger, learn my playbook and get it right. ”
Harris’ work ethic and positive mentality have been crucial to his development. Coming into the year he knew he’d be competing for a spot with redshirt freshman Kurtis Rourke, but the race for “QB1” got even tighter on July 13 when Armani Rogers announced via Twitter he’d be transferring to play for the Bobcats after spending the previous four years at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
“We got some great quarterbacks,” Rourke said. “We have one of the most talented groups that I feel like I’ve been a part of.”
The talent both Rourke and Rogers possess have fueled Harris to compete. Although Harris is the least experienced when it comes to collegiate reps and playing time, each quarterback is new and practice reps are split and earned every day. Coach Frank Solich believes Harris is as much in the conversation for starting quarterback as Rourke and Rogers are.
“He’s got a lot of potential,” Solich said. “We haven’t just cast him aside. It’s difficult, as you know, to give reps to three quarterbacks.”
Just like Armani Rogers, Harris is often labeled as an athletic quarterback. He has the ability to make great plays using his feet in sticky situations and is dangerous out in the open field. That “athletic” label often insinuates that the quarterback isn’t as great of a passer as he is a runner, but Harris embraces the label.
“I am an athletic quarterback, but to this day I still am a quarterback,” Harris said. “I just bring a different vibe to the game by being able to use my feet and my legs to get out the pocket and do what I have to do.”
Fitting into the offense hasn’t been and won’t be a problem for Harris. Ohio’s use of read-pass options, motion and play-action passes isn’t a foreign concept for the Michigan native. Harris flourished in that style of play in high school and is comfortable with the space and movement Ohio’s offense creates for an athletic type of player under center.
Harris has found comfortability not only in Ohio’s offense, but in the offensive weapons it possesses in its receivers. Shane Hooks, Cam Odom and Isiah Cox were amongst some of the players Harris admitted he’s gained some chemistry with on the gridiron.
“Pretty much everyone in that receiver room is very lethal,” Harris said. “ I can look forward to throwing to those guys cause I know they’re going to be open.”
With the ongoing global pandemic, Harris and his teammates have made several sacrifices to have a season. Players and staff have had to sacrifice time with extended friends and family, receive coronavirus testing multiple times a week and those who are enrolled in classes are doing so in their dorms and apartments.
As a freshman in a pandemic, Harris will have to miss out on those sentimental moments as a college football player: the presence of family and friends at the home-opener, playing a full twelve-game schedule and having thousands of fans cheering you on in the stands every week.
But Harris isn’t stressing about the little things.
After weeks of watching other teams play football every Saturday, he’s just happy he can play the game he loves and compete for a starting position with the Bobcats.
“Even with everything going on with the coronavirus and things shutting down, we’ve been able to come out here and play football every day,” Harris said. “That’s all I look forward to: being out here every day and playing ball...it’s great.”
