Marcell Harris is one of three Gators going to the SEC Football Media Days with head coach Jim McElwain next week. (Photo: Madison Schultz/For UAA Communications)
Why Marcell Harris is going to SEC Football Media Days
Thursday, July 6, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter
The fifth-year senior played the best of his college career in the second half of last season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators make a stop Tuesday at the annual Southeastern Conference Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
UF head coach Jim McElwain will be joined for a day of interviews by fifth-year senior safety Marcell Harris, senior defensive back Duke Dawson and junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey.
All three are veteran leaders the Gators will rely heavily on in McElwain's third season.
If you haven't watched the video below, Harris is the one who winks at the end.
Why are Harris, Dawson and Ivey going to the SEC's summer kickoff bash? Ultimately, it's the head coach's decision which players attend the event.
Here is a look at why Harris is worthy of an invite:
THE PLAYER: Harris led the Gators in tackles (73) a season ago, no small accomplishment on a unit that had seven players selected in the NFL Draft in April. Harris saved his best work for the second half of the season after fellow safety Marcus Maye suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Harris had career-high 11 tackles in the win at LSU to help the Gators clinch the SEC East, including an assist on the game's final play when he grabbed Tigers running back Derrius Guice by the legs as Florida's defense swarmed to prevent Guice from reaching the end zone in arguably the most unforgettable goal-line stand in school history. Harris is now the veteran in the defensive backfield following the departures of Maye and cornerbacks Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson. How much did Harris improve a year ago? He had 51 more tackles than in 2015. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Harris is one of the team's most physical players and will set the tone for a young group of defensive backs seeking to continue the program's high standards at the position in recent years.
THE PERSONALITY: Harris has a rough-and-tumble style of play, but once he steps off the field, he is one of UF's most approachable players. His fun-loving attitude is often on display at practice and he's usually got a smile on his face. He also developed into one of Florida's go-to guys for the media last season, another reason he is headed to Hoover where microphones and TV cameras will be at every turn.
THE PROJECTION: Harris tested the NFL Draft waters after his late-season breakout but wisely returned to school for another season of development. Harris has the tools to play at the next level, but a full season as a starter should help Harris refine his technique and put together a more well-rounded body of work for NFL personnel to evaluate for next year's draft. Unlike Tabor, Wilson and Maye a year ago, Harris is not ranked near the top of his position rankings by the majority of draft analysts heading into the season, so he has much to gain.
Friday: Martez Ivey; Saturday: Duke Dawson
UF head coach Jim McElwain will be joined for a day of interviews by fifth-year senior safety Marcell Harris, senior defensive back Duke Dawson and junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey.
All three are veteran leaders the Gators will rely heavily on in McElwain's third season.
If you haven't watched the video below, Harris is the one who winks at the end.
#SECMediaDays lineup = ????????????
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) July 5, 2017
Can't wait to be in Hoover with @7upya__, @tezivey & Marcell next week! #Swamp17
??: https://t.co/Q9rfzTJkH6 pic.twitter.com/FVTfWPqsyq
Why are Harris, Dawson and Ivey going to the SEC's summer kickoff bash? Ultimately, it's the head coach's decision which players attend the event.
Here is a look at why Harris is worthy of an invite:
THE PLAYER: Harris led the Gators in tackles (73) a season ago, no small accomplishment on a unit that had seven players selected in the NFL Draft in April. Harris saved his best work for the second half of the season after fellow safety Marcus Maye suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Harris had career-high 11 tackles in the win at LSU to help the Gators clinch the SEC East, including an assist on the game's final play when he grabbed Tigers running back Derrius Guice by the legs as Florida's defense swarmed to prevent Guice from reaching the end zone in arguably the most unforgettable goal-line stand in school history. Harris is now the veteran in the defensive backfield following the departures of Maye and cornerbacks Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson. How much did Harris improve a year ago? He had 51 more tackles than in 2015. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Harris is one of the team's most physical players and will set the tone for a young group of defensive backs seeking to continue the program's high standards at the position in recent years.
THE PERSONALITY: Harris has a rough-and-tumble style of play, but once he steps off the field, he is one of UF's most approachable players. His fun-loving attitude is often on display at practice and he's usually got a smile on his face. He also developed into one of Florida's go-to guys for the media last season, another reason he is headed to Hoover where microphones and TV cameras will be at every turn.
THE PROJECTION: Harris tested the NFL Draft waters after his late-season breakout but wisely returned to school for another season of development. Harris has the tools to play at the next level, but a full season as a starter should help Harris refine his technique and put together a more well-rounded body of work for NFL personnel to evaluate for next year's draft. Unlike Tabor, Wilson and Maye a year ago, Harris is not ranked near the top of his position rankings by the majority of draft analysts heading into the season, so he has much to gain.
Friday: Martez Ivey; Saturday: Duke Dawson
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