INDIANAPOLIS — Ole Miss WR Tre Harris took college football by storm to start the 2024 season, going over 100 yards receiving in five of seven games before suffering a groin injury that caused him to miss over a month. Despite playing in only eight games this past season, Harris managed to catch 60 passes for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging nearly 129 yards per game.
I asked Harris at the NFL Scouting Combine how his groin is feeling.
“It’s feeling good,” Harris said Friday. “I went through a lot of physical therapy and went through a lot of training. I got cleared January 28, so I’ve had a good bit of time to get prepared for everything. I do plan on running and jumping at the Combine, but position work is up in the air right now to be honest with you. I want to go out there and just prove that I can bounce back from injury pretty quickly.”
Harris battled through a left knee injury during his 2023 campaign as well, but still managed to post 54 receptions for 985 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season with the Rebels after transferring from Louisiana Tech. A lot of that grit and toughness comes from his father, who worked in the oil fields for over 25 years.
“That’s my biggest role model in my life,” Harris said. “He’s taught me so much about sacrifice. Being in that oil field industry is not for the weak. He’s done everything that is possible in this life and just does everything he can for his family. That’s something I want to do. Go out there and do everything I possibly can just so I can put on for the last name on my back.”
You see that toughness and competitive demeanor in Harris’ tape, winning down the field in contested-catch situations routinely against defensive backs as well as securing tough catches over the middle. It’s a mindset that Harris likes to embody as a receiver who looks to dominate his competition in every aspect of the game.
“For me, it’s definitely will versus will,” Harris said. “I feel like whoever’s will breaks first is going to show who’s going to be the more dominant player in that matchup. That’s something I pride myself on, being able to go out there and go against a defensive back and take his soul pretty much and beat him at anything and everything, whether it’s blocking, whether it’s running routes, whether it’s just talking crap to be completely honest with you.”
When I asked Harris which teams he has formally met with at the NFL Combine, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the first team to come out of his mouth.
“My meeting with the Steelers went really good,” Harris said. “Got to talk to Mike Tomlin…the legend. He’s a really good guy and a really good coach. Some friends from back home it’d blow their mind because they’re big Steelers fans, so just being able to talk to him was great.”
Harris is currently seen as a Day 2 prospect, likely to go somewhere in the second round. The Steelers need to address the wide receiver position and given their history of success of hitting Day 2 wide receivers, Harris could be in the mix. He is a bigger-bodied guy who can work in all phases of the field, moving the chains over the middle while also working down the field as a vertical threat.
For more on Harris, here is our full scouting report below:
