The Arkansas Razorbacks football team just landed a commitment from a former MLB player according to On3.
Monte Harrison, who spent the last near decade playing professional baseball, including the MLB, committed to Arkansas, according to Richard Davenport.
Originally committed to Nebraska in the Class of 2014, Harrison was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers that year in the second round.
Per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recruiting writer, Harrison committed to Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks. He never used any college eligibility.
Unfortunately, it took Harrison some time before he found his footing on the diamond. He spent six years in the minor leagues before finally making it to the majors in 2020 with the Miami Marlins. He played 32 games that season and hit .170 with one home run and three RBI. He appeared in nine games the following year and was sent back down to Triple-A.
In April 2022, Harrison signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He was promoted to the major league roster in June of that year and played nine games before the Angels designated him for assignment. He rejoined the Brewers on a minor league deal in 2023 and played 88 games for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.
Monte Harrison Hopes To Bring High School Success To Arkansas Razorbacks
The 28-year-old Harrison also held offers from Michigan State, Missouri, Indiana and Kansas, among others when he was a recruit a decade ago.
As a member of the Class of 2014, Harrison was a four-star recruit out of Lee’s Summit (Mo.) West, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 5 overall prospect in the state, the No. 50 wide receiver in the class and the No. 297 overall prospect in the class.
During his senior year of high school, Harrison showcased why he was one of the best prospects in the area. He finished with 60 catches for 1,007 yards, 13 touchdowns, 198 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns and even threw a touchdown.
Pittman didn’t want to lose any players from the Arkansas Razorbacks roster during the spring window, but acknowledged it’d happen. He also knew he’d gain some as well, perhaps not quite like Harrison though.
“We don’t want to lose any of our players,” Pittman said of the spring portal in April. “And I had to talk with our team and I said, ‘Hey, we just don’t lose anybody that we have and don’t add anybody, we’re gonna have us a fine football team. So the number one thing is I don’t want to lose anybody. We’re going to. I mean, I hope not but we could. I don’t know why you’d want to leave this team. This is a good football team, but I understand the landscape of football.”
It will be interesting to see if Harris can find a role to contribute on the 2024 Arkansas Razorbacks football team. If he can impress the coaching staff enough and find his way on to the field for live game action, it will be one of the more inspiring stories in all of college football.