Tae Harris’ senior season has gotten off to a strong start.
Playing on both sides of the ball, the Clemson commit has helped pace Cedartown (GA) to a 2-0 start. Harris rushed for close to 100 yards in last weekend’s win with two touchdowns, while also adding seven tackles and two pass breakups.
Seeing as this is his final season of high school ball, Harris is looking to help take his team on a run to a state title.
“Team goals, really just to get it done with my senior guys one last time,” Harris told The Clemson Insider. “Just win state. That’s always the goal. Win state.”
However, Harris also has some individual goals that are secondary to what the team is looking to accomplish, and he is aiming high.
“I’m gonna try to win Mr. Georgia Football,” he said. “All-State. I’ve gotten All-State since my sophomore year, though, so it shouldn’t be too hard for me. I’m also trying to get the Elite-11, which is the best 11 players offense-defense in the state of Georgia.”
Harris was at one time committed to Georgia but would ultimately decide to decommit and open his recruitment back up. Clemson almost immediately offered and the 4-star safety would commit to the Tigers in early June. He is set to be on hand this weekend when the two teams face off in Atlanta to open the season.
He also plans to run track at Clemson and currently holds two school records with a 10.6 in the 100M and a 21.1 in the 200M.
In the months since his commitment to Clemson, his relationship with safeties coach Mickey Conn has blossomed.
“It seems like I’m already on campus,” Harris said. “Just talking regularly every day. He’s just been recruiting since I was committed to Georgia. So it’s gotten a lot more normal now. Just because it seems like I’m just talking to a regular coach. Another father figure and stuff like that. So it’s really grown a lot.”
The 6-foot, 195-pound recruit ranks as high as No. 49 overall and No. 5 among all safeties and despite being committed to the Tigers, other schools are still in pursuit. Although, Harris remains fully on board with Dabo Swinney’s program.
“Georgia’s trying to get me back… Georgia and Alabama are probably the main two, and then Auburn that’s texting me every day. But I don’t respond. I am fully locked in.”
Where Harris has been very active is trying to help the staff recruit the 2025 class.
“I’m just trying to get guys to come,” Harris said. “I’m active all the time. If coach or any position coach reaches out to me saying, ‘hey, we need a wide receiver, we need this guy’. I just reach out to him, give him a few encouraging words.”
Harris loves everything Clemson stands for and when he is trying to help the Tigers recruit, he expresses that to every potential prospect he talks with. He believes in what Swinney has built at Clemson and he believes in the Tigers’ 2025 class.
“I tell them this ain’t a four year decision, this is a forty year decision,” he said. “It’s gonna set you up for life after a great school and you’ll have a chance to win the national championship. You’re gonna win the championship, and you’re gonna graduate while doing it. You’re gonna be around the best men in the world. We got a special group of guys in the 2025 class. We are going to get it done.”
The commitment to Clemson is something Harris put a lot of thought into and while he isn’t looking forward to his high school career ending, he is anxious to get to campus so he can experience that unique culture each and every day.
“The relationships that they building,” Harris said. “Just doing stuff the right way, just really doing stuff the right way. Going to get a great education there. I know I’m gonna be taken care of. And I’m just gonna get to play football, some great football while I’m there.”
Photo courtesy of Tae Harris on X (formerly known as Twitter)
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