CHAPEL HILL - When North Carolina safety Jakeen Harris steps onto the field for the Tar Heels’ season-opener at Minnesota on August 29, it will mark exactly 365 days since he last played in a college football game.
Harris suffered a torn left pectoral muscle on August 31 last year in NC State's season-opening win at Connecticut. The injury not only ended his season with the Wolfpack, but required an extra surgery following an infection during the recovery process.
For the first time in his life, Harris found himself on the sidelines instead of in between the hash marks.
Missing the final 12 games of the campaign allowed Harris to sit back and learn, taking in each practice and game, one play at a time.
“I really learned that you gotta sit down and watch the game,” said Harris. “Just me being out [for] a year, which I’ve never been out before, it really helped me hone in on looking at the little things and studying the game more.”
On November 30, Harris made the decision to enter the transfer portal after spending five seasons in Raleigh. He appeared in 48 games for NC State, recording 166 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and four interceptions. A redshirt year and Covid season allowed him one final year of eligibility.
Harris was looking for a fresh start for his final year, but didn’t have to search far to find it.
Despite interest from other Power 4 programs, Harris transferred just 25 miles west to Chapel Hill. In the months since his arrival, Harris is 100% healthy and competed in spring practice, a feat he doesn’t take for granted.
“It’s been a blessing just to be back here and just to keep going and keep playing,” said the 5-foot-10.5, 195-pound safety. “I feel like with everything going on that I’ve really prevailed through a lot and I’m just blessed to be here.”
He has acclimated to life at UNC, which includes transitioning to a new defense and a new defensive coordinator in Geoff Collins.
“He was really aggressive coming out of the gate, so I knew he was gonna be a great coach,” said Harris. “I just feel like he’s one of those coaches who is gonna push you and gonna get the maximum out of you.”
Collins has created a rejuvenated energy on the Tar Heel defense, including a concept called “Money Down,” which comes from his previous stops at Florida, Temple, and Georgia Tech.
It often refers to third-down defense, when a team is looking to make a critical play to get a stop and get off the field.
For Harris, however, “Money Down” isn’t just a one down catchphrase, it’s a lifestyle.
“It’s always money down, it’s always third down. Anytime I’m on the field, it’s money down,” said the graduate student from Savannah, GA. “That’s the down to get off the field. That’s the down to make your money on.”
Since making the switch from Wolfpack to a Tar Heel, Harris has been impressed by the defenders North Carolina has at all three levels.
“This is a really aggressive defense. It can be aggressive and it can be dropping into zone coverages and have vision on the quarterback,” said Harris. “But I feel like this is a real good defense right here.”
Playing alongside fellow experienced players such as Stick Lane, Marcus Allen, Alijah Huzzie, and Will Hardy provides both Harris and the UNC coaching staff with even more confidence in the secondary.
Harris has played in 1,833 snaps over the course of his career and garnered a PFF grade of 70.2 and 69.9 in his last two full seasons. Each year at NC State, he improved his tackling ability, which included cutting his missed tackle rate in half from 16.7% in 2021 to just 8.3% in 2022.
He also developed and improved in coverage, rating 70 or higher in three consecutive seasons from 2020-2022.
Although Harris expected 2023 to be his last season at the collegiate level, now that he is rooted in Chapel Hill and preparing for a final ride with UNC, he believes he is exactly where he is supposed to be.
“I feel like I’m in the right spot,” he said. “I feel like everything is going to work out, everything’s planned and everything happens for a reason.”
