Before Texas begins its first season under Charlie Strong, we're taking a deep dive into all the talent he inherits in 2014. Our Burnt Orange Breakdown series will take a closer look at each scholarship player returning this fall and what we can expect from them. We're going down the roster from No. 1 Shiro Davis all the way to No. 99 Desmond Jackson.
No. 9 John Harris
Senior wide receiver
Recruiting rewind: The three-star prospect from Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest was commit No. 2 for the Longhorns' 2010 class, choosing UT over Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Arkansas and Arizona. Harris didn't put up huge receiving numbers in high school, but that's mainly because he played quarterback as a senior. Texas inked a touted five-man receiver class that year, but so far only Mike Davis has panned out.
Career so far: Harris has a few highlights to put on his reel -- the Hail Mary at Iowa State, Texas' first score of 2013, throwing a TD pass against Rice in his first career game -- but that's about it. He missed the final 10 games of his redshirt freshman season with a foot injury and has played sparingly ever since. Harris has been a special teams contributor throughout but, offensively, has been targeted just 16 times for nine catches, 190 yards and three scores in his Longhorns career. Texas started calling him a tight end a year ago, but we haven't really seen the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder play much from that spot.
Best-case scenario for 2014: A senior-year revival. There was a time, in the offseason leading up to 2012, when Harris seemed capable of stepping up and taking a starting spot. But the coaching staff wasn't sold, and Harris hasn't had an easy time finding the field consistently. Yet we've seen him make big plays -- a big target who has flashed good wheels. If Les Koenning sees something in Harris that his previous coaches did not, he could be a surprise contributor among Texas' returning receivers.
Worst-case scenario for 2014: Another season spent relegated to special teams work with the occasional opportunity to catch a few passes. Basically, more of the same. Harris caught a 22-yard score from third-team quarterback Trey Holtz to end the spring game, and no doubt he'd like to work his way up and see more reps with the No. 1 offense. But as we've pointed out over and over, Texas will have around a dozen capable scholarship receivers to choose from in 2014. Harris will stay on the sideline if he can't beat out a bunch of them.
Future expectations: Harris is probably going to need a huge senior season if he hopes to chase NFL aspirations next year. He's one of the many players who should recognize that the fresh start provided by Texas' coaching change means a chance to step forward. Texas has some very talented, polished receivers ahead of him on the depth chart. Can he make a big impression in fall camp and re-emerge as a difference-maker?