Alex Harrison, the no. 4 in-state recruit is officially a Ute. A longtime Utah-lean, Harrison committed last week, days before his official visit and signing day. The Utes beat out a top five of Oregon, USC, Nebraska, and Utah State—with the Ducks and Trojans getting the longer looks from Harrison.

Of all the teams that recruited the 6-foot-5, 320 pound offensive tackle from Viewmont High, it was offensive line coach Jim Harding that sealed the deal for Utah. “Coach Harding, I love him,” Harrison said. “He’s calm, but he can get amped up when he needs to be. He’s always been honest and never forced something. He just said it how it was. I met some coaches at schools that would lie, or make huge promises, and you can tell that what they say is complete crap. But Harding always just told me be powerful, be physical, and play my game.”

After making his commitment known, Harrison immediately turned into a recruiter for the program, as he took his official with several key in-state recruits on Utah’s biggest recruiting weekend of the year.

EVALUATION

Pros: Alex or Big Al as he is better known as loves pancakes. He is always looking for pancakes on the football field. His controlled aggression is something that not all 6’6 315lb high school linemen have. That aggression with solid ability to bend will work well in his favor. Big Al does a great job pass setting against outside speed and has the athletic ability to adjust when a DE counters with a second or third pass rush move.

Areas to Develop: Big Al’s footwork especially his first step will be an instant focus for Coach Harding. Being able to take the proper first step is everything to a college offensive lineman because that first step can put you in position to either win or lose that down. One tendency that I noticed on the film was Big Al would be out of position when an opposing DE shot the inside gap because of Al’s first step was not correct. The good news is this is a common fix for offensive linemen transitioning to college football. Improved footwork with the natural aggression and athletic pass setting ability will serve Big Al well during his career at Utah.

-Derek Tuimauga, Utah offensive lineman, 2009-13

WHAT IT MEANS

Harrison won’t be expected to start immediately, but Utah fans will see him on the field in 2020. With a couple of openings on the two deep, Harrison could get his shot in the rotation. Though like most offensive linemen, the uptick in the speed of the game means Harrison will likely need a year or two before becoming an ingrained starter.

FORMER UTE PLAYER COMPARISON: Isaac Asiata