4-star DT Zxavian Harris commits to Ole Miss over Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State

Germantown (Miss.) defensive tackle Zxavian Harris released a top-six in May that was SEC-heavy, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. After taking unofficial visits to the in-state programs, the Mississippi defensive tackle has come to a decision.

Late Thursday night, the 19th-ranked defensive tackle in the 2022 class announced that he was verbally committing to the Rebels and defensive line coach Randall Joyner. The state’s 5th-ranked prospect seemingly came down to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Georgia. Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Indiana, Nebraska, and South Carolina also offered.

In his last two years in the trenches at Germantown High School, Harris has accumulated 110 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

How does he fit in?

Standing 6-foot-6, 338-pounds, it’s easy to see why Harris demands at least a double team. But the newest Rebel commit can sometimes see three offensive players in his way when in pursuit of a ball carrier or a quarterback. Despite the offensive linemen and running backs and tight ends in his way, Harris is extremely disruptive at the point of attack and can collapse the interior with the best of them.

The length is what makes him so valuable. The Mississippi defensive lineman is not only huge, but his height and long arms make him even more of a headache for offensive coordinators. He has plenty of athleticism and quickness when locating the football and pursuing it laterally and he can also get big and make it difficult for signal callers to see passing lanes clearly.

This is a huge win for Joyner and co-defensive coordinators DJ Durkin and Chris Partridge. Mississippi State and defensive coordinator Zach Arnett coveted Harris and will continue to recruit him until signing day, but for now, Harris joins Lane Kiffin’s 2022 class, giving it quite the punch in the front seven.

Highlights