Drake Harris, Ex-Wolverine . . . again
Redshirt junior wide receiver Drake Harris is transferring for his fifth year of football. It was reported earlier in the year that Harris left the football program and was going to join the basketball team, but then Tarik Black got hurt and Harris never made any appearances with the basketball program.
He ended up returning to the football team and played in four games, making 1 catch for 10 yards against Ohio State. In total, he made 9 receptions for 60 yards in four seasons in Ann Arbor. He was hampered early in his career (and toward the tail end of his high school career) by hamstring issues, though that problem seems to have cleared up in the past two years.
Harris was a 4-star, the #7 wide receiver, and #68 overall in the class of 2014, according to the 247 Composite. In that respect, he’s one of the more disappointing recruits Michigan has landed in recent years. For the #68 player to only make 9 catches over a full career – and to be passed by numerous lower-rated players – that’s quite a letdown. Particularly this season when Michigan was low on experienced receivers, Harris had a prime opportunity to play but got stuck behind Black, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Kekoa Crawford, and others.
This hurts Michigan very little for 2018 and opens up a scholarship for another player. Harris has struggled to get on the field in the past, and there’s no reason to think he would become an important cog next season.