The son of a potential future NFL Hall of Famer is likely going to play a big role for the Tennessee Vols in 2024.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Christian Harrison, the son of legendary New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, is expected to split time with true freshman defensive back Boo Carter at the star position for the Vols this fall.
Junior defensive back Jourdan Thomas was expected to be the starter at the star position for Tennessee in 2024, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this month during fall camp.
Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks noted at the start of fall camp that Tennessee had been heavily working all three players at the star position to protect against a lack of depth in the event of an injury.
"We really worked hard between Jourdan Thomas and Christian Harrison and Boo Carter, but if I am being honest we have worked everybody at that position because it is super important," said Banks in late July. "We lost two within the span of a week a year ago and we don't ever want to be in that situation again. Those three guys I mentioned are very versatile in our defense. They are good athletes. They are tough guys. They also have some cover ability. It is probably one of the more challenging positions on our defense and I am super excited about the three guys I just mentioned."
When Banks made those comments, he had no idea how quickly the Vols would need the depth that they worked hard to create.
Tennessee will continue to build depth at the star position, but it will be Harrison and Carter that receive the bulk of the reps in 2024.
"Christian Harrison and Boo Carter are taking the bulk of the reps," said Vols secondary coach Willie Martinez last week. "We know in the back of our minds that we have others who have played the position whether it's Will Brooks or Andre Turrentine — we have the versatility. The two guys that are competing are Christian and Boo. They're doing a really good job."
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel echoed those sentiments on Monday while speaking with reporters.
“With Jourdan going down, Christian playing there (at star), Boo Carter, you guys have asked about him, too, both of those guys have done a great job of growing in fundamentals," said Heupel. "Playing the position, the communication that takes place there with the guys beside him, back behind him, making plays. Really excited about what both of those guys have done on the practice field up until this point. And both of those guys will play a lot of ball.”
Harrison is a former three-star recruit from Atlanta who signed with the Vols during the 2022 recruiting cycle. He played in eight games as a true freshman in 2022 and he played in five games last season. Harrison played 15 snaps in Tennessee's win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
For now, it's unclear who the "starter" will be, though it doesn't really matter -- Harrison and Carter are both expected to play a significant amount of snaps.
The Vols are hoping that Harrison will shine once he gets an opportunity to play in a key role. And hey, shining is in his blood. His dad, Rodney, had a reputation for being one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL. And he could land in the Hall of Fame soon because of what he accomplished during his time with the Patriots and the San Diego Chargers (Rodney Harrison was a finalist for the Hall of Fame this year).
It'll certainly be a great story if Harrison has a breakout season for the Vols in 2024 and follows in his father's footsteps as a feared safety.
Related: Former Vols DB Brandon Turnage explains why he transferred to Ole Miss and makes strong statement about his time at Tennessee
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