Drake Harris says his plans haven’t changed, however everything else he has said makes you think otherwise.
Harris is the two-sport star from Grand Rapids Christian who has committed to play football and basketball at Michigan State. But in the past few days he’s announced he’s opening up his recruiting and will take at least two more visits to Ohio State and Florida. He has also said he no longer plans to play basketball and will focus on football.
“I just talked to coach (Tom) Izzo and told him that I’m planning on just playing football,” Harris told ESPN.com. “I talked to coach (Mark) Dantonio and told him I’m still committed there, but I’m opening up my recruitment.
“I’m starting to look at more of the bigger football schools since I’m just playing football now.”
He added to 247sports.com, “They (the Buckeyes) are one of the best football programs in the country. You have arguably the best coach in the country. The campus is great, and the fan support is crazy.”
None of that can sound good to Dantonio. Michigan State already lost a committed player, Se’Von Pittman, last year to Ohio State and when Urban Meyer batted his eyelashes at Harris, he quickly put himself in position to be the second.
Will it cripple the Michigan State program? Hardly. But the perception is devastating when it appears a top recruit has basically announced that Michigan State is not among the elite.
“I’m starting to look at the bigger football schools … ”
It begs the question, what is Michigan State to Harris?
What Harris is to Michigan State is clear. He is rated the top wide receiver in 2014 according to Tom Lemming and caught 91 passes for a state-record 2,016 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior. But numbers are one thing, being cast aside for the new guy is another.
Michigan State coaches weren’t happy with Meyer last year on signing day, imagine how they feel now.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Harris insists he’s committed to Michigan State. He told 247sports.com, “I’m committed right now, and I’m solid right now. I wouldn’t go to the point to say that I’m going to change my mind and go to a different school. Like I said, I’m committed to them.”
However, that has not stopped him from looking, looking for a better option.
It’s up to Dantonio and his staff to now prove Michigan State is his best option. Though judging from what Harris has said, that is going to be a tough sell.
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