Interview: 2019 QB Scott Harris Talks USC Offer and Commitment Off 7v7 Action
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
There is a pocket of high school coaches across the country that do not have a favorable opinion of 7v7 action; may the story of Scott Harris committing to USC bring a few of you around.
A 7v7 tournament/camp over the weekend put Class of 2019 quarterback Scott Harris in front of USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton. Helton and his right-hand men on offense, coordinator Tee Martin and quarterback coach Bryan Ellis, were well-aware of Harris spending time on the Fairfax High School campus watching the rising talent throw in practice. Harris had given the Trojans’ coaching staff good reason to be on campus after earning first team All-Los Angeles City, All-Western League, and Western League Offensive MVP upon completing a junior campaign with 2,000 passing yards and 18 touchdowns along with 253 yards on the ground and seven more scores posted on the board; the stage was set.
Beyond the play on the gridiron, the 6-0, 185-pound, field general had a couple other things on his side before competing in front of Coach Helton, a 3.45 cumulative GPA with a 33 scored on the ACT and the tutelage of quarterback coach Steve Clarkson. When the tournament was completed, Harris had landed his first Division-I offer and subsequently committed to USC.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Harris after his commitment and before heading to USC for a camp to get the inside scoop on his quick recruiting process with the Trojans.
*Click link for April 14, 2018, RNG interview with Scott Harris
Interview
Scott, before we begin, congratulations on your commitment to USC.
“Thank you.”
How did the relationship with USC and Coach Helton play out since we last spoke in April?
“I have been working with my QB coach, Steve Clarkson, the last couple of years. He has a strong connection with a lot of schools including USC. He was able to show Coach Helton, Coach Ellis, and Coach Martin my film. He told them how special a guy I am and how I can make plays that a lot of other people cannot do. They’ve had a lot of successful QBs via Coach Clarkson, so they trusted him.
“They started coming up to Fairfax, Coach Martin and Coach Elis, first introducing themselves and then to watch me throw. They were able to see everything, see if I am a guy they wanted to recruit; it went from there. Yesterday at a 7v7 tournament, I was able to meet Coach Helton in person. He was able to watch me against top defenses. He could see that I could play on a high level. His staff was impressed with me, Coach Helton had good things to say about me and they decided to offer me.”
When did you verbally commit to USC?
“I verbally committed on Saturday at the camp. I committed because this was the whole reason why I started playing football. The goal was to play at USC, become the starter and be the man for USC. Once I was cleared by all of them and they offered, I spoke with my parents and committed. This was everything I had planned for – once I got my offer, I knew this is where I wanted to be.”
What was that moment like for you just before you let the staff know you wanted to be a Trojan?
“I was very excited. I had a good feeling leading up to the offer. They were showing a lot of interest. I was hoping it was coming at some point. When the moment happened, it was surreal. I love that a school like USC wants me as much as I want to be there. It was pretty awesome.”
What was the reaction of the coaching staff when you committed?
“They were really excited. Once I committed to them, they were excited. For them to be excited, that is something special.”
Did you and Coach Helton talk about anything else at the time of your commitment?
“They told me other colleges will recruit me, at the end of the day, per Coach Helton, USC is your home. I let him know, I want USC to be my home. That is where I want to be. That was a good feeling when he was telling me it is home. My older brother goes to USC and a lot of my friends go to USC, for USC to be the school that offered me first, that is a big accomplishment. It makes it all the better.”
Are you ready to start helping with recruiting?
“Yeah, of course. I know USC has amazing recruits, to help push it even more if possible – yeah, I want to help. They get great guys, I want to help add on to that if I can.”
How have your offseason workouts come along?
“Really good. I have been doing a lot of speed workouts. They marked me as a pro-style QB on a recruiting site, but I do have speed. I’m ready to prove that I can run and that I am quick. I have been doing a lot of QB training with coaches and talking with my Fairfax coaches getting ready for the season.”
How did spring practices with the Lions go?
“It went really well. We were training twice a week, offensive and defensive days. We are young, but all the guys are coachable. I feel like everyone in our program is ready to win another Western League, LA City Section, and hopefully state championship. I think we will perform at a higher level than last year (9-3).”
Is there an offseason goal you want to accomplish before the team takes the field for Game 1 of the 2018 schedule?
“Yeah. My personal goal is to be really-really quick. When the pocket breaks down, I want to make plays with my quickness and speed. I want to breakthrough and gain a lot of yards. I know that will help us this season. My goal is to stay healthy, stay prepared and focused so we can have another great year. I want to enjoy this year and the summer. I want to enjoy my senior year before playing for USC.”
Are you going to USC today for the camp?
“Yes.”
What’s the goal for the camp?
“The goal is to prove myself even more to USC and get a chance to talk to players they are recruiting. I want to get a better feel for the school and get that home feeling. It will be great to be with coaching staff more in a football setting.”
Scott, again, congratulations on your commitment and good luck with the rest of your summer workouts.
“Thank you.”
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Photo credit: Harris family; Scott Harris with Coach Helton