Monte Harrison stands out among the other freshmen for ArkansasNot only because he is a former four-star prospect who was ranked among the top 50 receivers in his class, but also because he just celebrated his 29th birthday.
Harrison was originally supposed to play for Nebraska in the 2014 cycle before being selected in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent the next few years in the minor leagues before finally making his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2020.
Now, exactly a decade after graduating high school, Harrison will finally use his eligibility to play college football as a walk-on with the Razorbacks. Although he hasn’t played in a while, his potential as a starting quarterback is already evident. Taylen Green.
“One thing that stands out to me is just his drive,” Green said. “He doesn’t say anything that the coaches want him to do. He had one of the biggest lineups in the practice game. That speaks volumes. He said, ‘Dude, I was tired,’ but you didn’t really notice. He ran full speed, ran all the routes and all the special teams. That’s the thing that stood out to me the most.”
As a member of the class of 2014, Harrison was a four-star recruit out of Lee’s Summit (Missouri) West, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the state’s 5th-best prospect, the class’s 50th-best wide receiver and the class’s 297th-best prospect.
In his senior year of high school, Harrison showed why he was one of the area’s most promising prospects, finishing the season with 60 catches for 1,007 yards, 13 touchdowns, 198 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, and even threw a touchdown.
Harrison also comes from a family of athletes – his brother Shaquille played in the NBA – and has what it takes to make an immediate impression in Fayetteville.
“He’s huge,” said backup QB Malachi Singleton. “He’s about 6’3, 220-225 pounds, fast, and has really good hands. He can make any catch there is. You can tell he’s a little rusty coming out of baseball, but he’s definitely going to be a big part of us this year.”
It’s unclear how much playing time Harrison will get next season, but it’s worth noting that he was seen practicing with the first team on Monday. However, Arkansas returns its top four pass catchers from last year, so finding targets could be difficult.
Harrison could also play a role on kickoff and punt returns, as he has reliable hands thanks to his ability to track the ball, which he learned in baseball. He also brings speed with 210 stolen bases in his minor league career and seven stolen bases in the MLB.
Wherever Harrison makes his biggest impact, he’s certainly one of the most interesting names to keep an eye on this fall. Fans can see him in action for the first time when the Razorbacks host Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the season opener on Aug. 29.
