Miguel Chavis has been a busy, busy man since taking his first major coaching position as the Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive ends coach. He hit the ground running and landed a few late 2022 targets in R Mason Thomas and Kevonte Henry.
In his continued pursuit of defensive ends for the 2023 class Chavis finds himself targeting Jaybron Harvey, a four-star edge rusher out of North Carolina. Harvey plays in Durham at Southern High School.
Harvey’s a true edge player in terms of build and explosiveness and can play standing up or with his hand on the ground. His junior year saw him finish with 28 sacks and over 100 tackles. His scouting report on 247 Sports reads as such:
Verified size with length. Has frame and skill set for edge rusher. Will be able to play at 230 pounds. Incredibly productive player with 28 sacks, 129 tackles as junior. Plays both sides of ball in various roles at Southern. High-level athlete with excellent burst at snap. Twitchy prospect gets off quickly and stay lows while eating up space in first few steps. Plays standing up and with hand on ground. Has motor and works to fight through double teams. Changes direction well and chases down plays on back side. Timing and anticipation of snap are excellent. Shows closing speed and body control. Uses a swim move at times, especially when feigning outside and moving inside. Has to continue to develop in the weight room. Relies heavily on physical talent but must refine technique. At times loops to the backfield rather than dipping shoulder and exploding toward ball carrier. – Brian Dohn, 247Sports National recruiting analyst
While the Sooners are in pretty good spots for the likes of Bai Jobe and Adepoju Adebawore, taking a long hard look at Harvey makes a lot of sense, especially with Jobe’s recruitment still growing and things far from being locked up with any prospects.
Chavis also was part of the same defensive staff led by Venables at Clemson that has had some significant success recruiting defensive linemen in the state of North Carolina over the years. Their success and connections on the recruiting trail amongst North Carolina high schools could pay dividends as they look to position themselves in the race for Harvey.