Brandon Harris Can Thrive In UNC’s Up-Tempo Offense
Former LSU starting quarterback Brandon Harris has landed at UNC. Can the ex-Tiger be the solution for Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels?
Former LSU starting quarterback Brandon Harris has landed at UNC. Can the ex-Tiger be the solution for Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels?
Former LSU starting quarterback Brandon Harris has a new home, choosing on Sunday afternoon to finish out his collegiate football career at North Carolina, where he will try to win the No. 1 job as a transfer following his graduation from LSU this summer and be the heir apparent to Mitch Trubisky.
Harris took an official visit to the Chapel Hill campus this past weekend, and he obviously liked what he heard from head coach Larry Fedora, who has made UNC’s offense one of the more productive ones in the country since his arrival.
But how much of an impact can Harris really make for the Tar Heels?
Looking at the UNC quarterback depth chart, little experience returns at the position. Logan Byrd and Chazz Surratt both were sidelined as redshirts during their freshman year, and Nathan Elliott did not see much action as the backup to Trubisky. Elliott was 8-of-9 passing for 55 yards in very limited duty over three games in 2016.
Harris would not have come to Chapel Hill unless he knew that he would have a real opportunity to win the starting gig, and he has a big advantage right now in that he is the Tar Heels’ only quarterback on the current roster who has started a college game.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder was LSU’s starter during the 2015 season, passing for 2,165 yards and 13 touchdowns along with 226 rushing yards and four scores. However, 2016 was a forgettable one for the Bossier City, Louisiana native. After two uneven starts to begin the season, he was benched in favor of Purdue transfer Danny Etling. His time as the No. 1 guy in Baton Rouge was over.
Despite being benched for his struggles, Harris has the talent and skill set to be a quality quarterback in the FBS. There are reasons why he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He has a strong arm, and his ability to pick up yards as a runner when plays break down can sustain drives. While he made some questionable decisions on the field with the Tigers, former LSU head coach Les Miles and his offensive staff did not play to their QB’s strengths enough, failing to put Harris in the best position to succeed. Now, though, he will have a chance to lead an up-tempo offense that has produced a ton of success during Fedora’s five-year tenure. Harris should fare much better in his new offense than he did in the Tigers’ pro-style attack.
UNC quarterbacks have completed 66.2 percent of their throws over the last two years, while Harris has connected on just 53.6 percent of his attempts. But the UNC offense has proven to be much more QB-friendly than LSU’s pro-style attack. Harris won’t be asked to do too much. Simply get the football into the hands of the surrounding playmakers because the offense is predicated on quick decision-making and fast tempo.
While he does not have the track record of being a great downfield passer, Harris does possess a strong arm that can be an asset to loosen up defenses when Fedora wants to take shots down field. And when he is in trouble facing a pass rush, his athleticism will be invaluable as it was for 2015 Tar Heels starter Marquise Williams. This will add a little more effectiveness to UNC’s offensive attack.
Harris doesn’t have to be as productive as Williams or Trubisky for his arrival to even be considered a success. By opening week of the 2017 season, he just has to be the best option under center on a roster without much experience at the most critical position on the team. If he proves to be through fall camp, Fedora’s track record as one of the better offensive minds in the country with a QB-friendly system should help Harris thrive and end his college career on a high note.
If for some reason Harris is not able to effectively produce in his new home, this was a low-risk move by Fedora because he was very thin on experience at the game’s most important position. Just the presence of Harris will push the young signal-callers to compete at their very best. And if we see a similar situation to that of Everett Golson, who came to Florida State from Notre Dame and won the job over an inexperienced group of QBs before losing it later in the season, then so be it. This is a move that cannot be questioned because any offensive tweak made by Fedora should be trusted based on his track record, and there’s no question that Harris—in theory—fits this offense much better than the one he was running in Baton Rouge.
