Penn State is off to a hot 6-0 start this season, and former Central-Phenix City and Glenwood defensive back A.J. Harris has been a key part of that.
The Nittany Lions rose to No. 3 in this week’s AP poll after a 33-30 overtime win against at USC and are one of 11 teams still undefeated.
Harris has been a stout defensive back in his first year at State College after spending one season at Georgia. He’s played a crucial role for a defense that is tied for ninth in points per game allowed (14.5) and 15th in passing yards allowed per game (167.5).
As a freshman at Georgia, he appeared in seven games and made eight tackles, but his role has increased significantly at Penn State.
He’s played in all six games and has 19 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass deflections and one interception. His interception came in a top-25 matchup against Illinois that saw the Nittany Lions win 21-7.
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In Penn State’s game against USC, Harris was solid again – picking up three tackles and a tackle for loss in a conference road win.
Harris was a dominant piece in Central-Phenix City’s secondary his senior year of high school. He totaled 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, 15 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, one sack and scored two touchdowns. He was also named to the Opelika-Auburn News 2022 All-Area first team defense for large schools.
He was also a first-team member his junior season at Glenwood.
Here’s a roundup of some other former Friday night stars around college football:
Auburn High
Omari Porter, Stanford: Porter recorded his first statistics of the season with two tackles in a 49-7 loss to Stanford.
Drew Bobo, Georgia: Bobo played 79 snaps along the offensive line and graded out at 66.6 according to Pro Football Focus in Georgia’s 41-31 win against Mississippi State.
Opelika
Brenton Williams, Liberty: Williams recorded one tackle for loss in Liberty’s 31-24 overtime win against Florida International.
Lanett
Trikweze Bridges, Florida: Bridges totaled three tackles and half a tackle for loss as Florida fell to Tennessee in overtime 23-17.
Caden Story, Clemson: Story picked up one tackle in Clemson’s 49-14 win against Wake Forest.
Central-Phenix City
JQ Hardaway, Kentucky: Hardaway made four solo tackles and deflected a pass in Kentucky’s 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt.
Jiquan Sanks, Cincinnati: Sanks tallied two tackles in Cincinnati’s 19-13 win against Central Florida.
Devonte’ Mathews, Western Kentucky: Mathews recorded three tackles in Western Kentucky’s 44-17 win against UTEP.
Jackson Meeks, Syracuse: Meeks had a monster day for the Orange, finishing with 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown in a 24-17 win against North Carolina State.
Valley
Jaden Hamlin, Louisiana-Monroe: Hamlin had one tackle and half a tackle for loss in ULM’s 38-21 win against Southern Miss.