Tag: Jermari Harris

Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes CB Jermari Harris

The Kansas City #Chiefs should have Iowa #Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris on their radar for the 2025 NFL draft.

After dealing with the consequences of starter Jaylen Watson landing on injured reserve, the Kansas City Chiefs could add more cornerback depth in the 2025 NFL draft. The team’s third and fourth-round selections put it in a strong position to add complementary pieces to its defense this coming spring.

Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris’ arms meet the league’s thresholds and help him deploy one-armed stabs in press coverage to re-route receivers. His quick and smooth feet help him patiently mirror wide receiver releases. He makes sharp and sometimes twitchy cuts to stay attached to advanced releases.

Harris accelerates quickly to carry receivers vertically but lacks the elite top speed to match burners. His recovery burst helps him get back into the second half of routes when he loses off the line. Harris is a smooth mover with limited tightness in his hips, but he allows some separation as he attempts to decelerate on intermediate comeback routes.

Harris anticipates routes well in both man and zone coverage. He excels at closing on short to intermediate routes to contest throwing lanes. Harris’ impressive ball production reflects how well he tracks and plays the football at the catch point.

Harris’ physical profile makes him a viable option in man coverage, and his processing helps him succeed in zone concepts. He seamlessly transitions between threats in zone and uses his understanding of route concepts to bait quarterbacks into bad throws.

Iowa welcomes Wisconsin to Kinnick Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. night game on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Badgers are on their second quarterback after starter Tyler Van Dyke went down with a season-ending knee injury earlier this year.

Jahdae Barron ranked as one of the highest graded cornerbacks by PFF College

Due to his play, the talented 22-year-old was ranked the second highest-graded cornerback from a Power Four school by PFF College on Friday

During the Longhorns’ undefeated start, their defense has been one of the best in the country. While everyone on the roster has contributed, one player who has stood out is Jahdae Barron. Due to his play, the talented 22-year-old was ranked the second highest-graded cornerback from a Power Four school by PFF College on Friday.

So far this season, Barron has recorded 12 tackles and added one interception to his highlight reel. The Austin native has made life difficult for quarterbacks, deflecting three passes and recovering one fumble. His play has been vital to a unit, surprising many in the country.

Through four games, Texas has only allowed 22 points. They have also recorded seven interceptions and applied constant pressure regardless of the opponent. With Barron leading the way, the Longhorns have left offensive coordinators baffled every week.

While the season is far from over, Barron appears well on his way to a stellar senior campaign. He was the only play to make PFF’s list and showed on Saturday night against UL Monroe why he received an 89.7 rating. The only player who received a higher rating was Iowa’s Jermari Harris, with a 90.5.

As Barron looks to build on his success, his next test will be a talented Mississippi State receiving core that includes Kevin Coleman Jr. and Jordan Mosley. However it is a challenge Barron is ready for as he has taken his game to another level over the last few weeks.

Pro Football Focus highlights Jermari Harris’ strong play for Iowa football

Jermari Harris is locking things down outside for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The Iowa Hawkeyes may have done it again. They may have just developed another one of the nation’s top defensive backs in college football.

It is early and only three games into the season, but Jermari Harris has been one of, if not the biggest highlights for Phil Parker and the Iowa defense.

Harris reeled in an interception in Iowa’s Week 1 win over the Illinois State Redbirds and snagged another against the Troy Trojans, which he took back to the house for a pick-six.

Through three games, he has been Iowa’s best defensive back and shined even brighter due to some uncharacteristic lapses elsewhere in the Hawkeyes’ secondary.

Jermari Harris’ play isn’t going unnoticed nationally, either. Following his Week 3 performance, Pro Football Focus highlighted just how good Harris was against Troy.

Against Troy, Pro Football Focus had Harris targeted five times yet not allowing a single reception. He had the interception and two pass breakups to go with it. The performance culminated with a 91.1 coverage grade.

Through three games, the fifth-year senior out of Montini Catholic in Chicago, Illinois has been a ballhawk.

Harris has five tackles, five pass deflections, two interceptions, and one interception return for a touchdown.

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Phil Parker breaks down Iowa football’s cornerback competition

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker broke down his thoughts on the Hawkeyes’ cornerback competition.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a healthy competition underway at cornerback.

Graduate cornerback Jermari Harris is locked in as one of the returning starters for the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot-1, 189 pound corner from Chicago has appeared in 32 games and started 18 over the past two seasons.

Iowa has three options it feels good about opposite Harris as its other potential starting cornerback. Sophomore Deshaun Lee started six games last season and performed well in his opportunities. Lee was listed as Iowa’s starting cornerback opposite Harris during the spring.

Junior TJ Hall and sophomore John Nestor are both serious options as Iowa’s other starting cornerback, too, though. Nestor, a 5-foot-11, 196 pound defensive back, was listed atop Iowa’s depth chart to start fall camp.

With fall camp ending and game week arriving, Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker shared some of his thoughts on how the cornerback competition is shaping up.

“Well, I think it’s really interesting. Jermari Harris has come back and the leadership that he’s brung and seeing TJ Hall grow and improve his standard of play. Nestor, he’s really doing a good job, very competitive out there and Deshaun Lee’s doing a heck of a job.

“So, I mean, it’s really interesting to see those four over there. One day one guy might have a better day than the other guy. It’s depending on what day and, at the point of attack, how productive are they? But, I think they’re all into it, they’re all working hard and you can see maybe playing more guys in the back end if you have to,” Parker said.

Asked if Nestor reminded him of former Hawkeye and current Denver Bronco Riley Moss, Parker said he does.

“They’re both probably the same kind of personality a little bit and you’ve just got to calm John down a little bit at times. Hey, just relax a little bit. He’s full go all the time just like Riley was. So, it’s nice to have those guys. You want those guys. Just give me effort, make sure you give me effort. I can deal with everything else,” Parker said.

Parker wasn’t ready to tip his hand on who would be starting in the season’s opening week, though.

“You never know until the day of the game. You know what I mean? I got a good idea. I got a list of guys and rank them, but things change every day with us throughout the practice. This guy could jump ahead of the guy. Most likely I know who we’re going to be,” Parker said.

Throughout camp, Parker has tried to minimize some of the workload on his veteran defensive backs and get younger players reps.

“Jermari’s taken a lot. I try to save guys, the wear and tear on them, so sometimes I’ll give a younger guy more reps so they can get the more experience. I know it’s not a game situation, but that’s what we’re trying to do is make sure that everybody’s playing enough. Because, if you lose a guy, you want to be able to plug a guy in, but you don’t want to lose anything there,” Parker said.

Based on the sounds of it, this is a competition that will continue until Iowa’s season kicks off and maybe several games in. Parker and the Hawkeyes also sound comfortable perhaps rotating more at cornerback in 2024.

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Pro Football Focus asks if Iowa football boasts best secondary in America

It’s a no-fly zone in Iowa City.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have been and are still built upon their defense. It is just how they play the game and how they win a lot of them.

The defense entering 2024 could be primed up to be one of the best they have had in years, despite a historic run of NFL talent coming and going from the ranks. The 2024 Iowa defense is highlighted by eight returning starters.

A large part of the experience and talent of this defense comes in the secondary where Iowa is returning veterans. They bring back safeties Quinn Schulte and Xavier Nwankpa, deploy CASH defender Sebastian Castro, and have a quarter of Deshaun Lee, Jermari Harris, TJ Hall, and John Nestor manning the cornerback position.

With that, Pro Football Focus has begun asking if the Iowa Hawkeyes and defensive coordinator Phil Parker boast the best secondary in all of America heading into 2024.

Nestor did not see defensive time last year as a true freshman, but the other five saw considerable snaps and each graded out above 70 per Pro Football Focus.

The group combines for 84 starts in their careers with appearances in a combined 170 games. This group has seen a lot of different offenses and has incredible depth.

The six defensive backs have 13 interceptions and 54 pass breakups to their names. The group gets their hands on the ball and when they do, they make opposing cornerbacks pay.

Iowa has the potential to be a very good team in 2024. With a strong year from this secondary, they have the ability to be the best in America and elevate this team to great.

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CBS Sports stamps Iowa Hawkeyes as top-three DB room in America

No fly zone.

It feels like each year there is hype and expectations that the Iowa Hawkeyes are somehow going to be just as good, if not better, on the defensive side of the football.

This is largely due in part to the wizardry of defensive coordinator Phil Parker and his ability to shut opposing offenses down. Another large part of the equation is the experience Iowa breeds in its secondary.

Iowa is returning four starters to the secondary this year: Quinn Schulte, Xavier Nwankpa, Jermari Harris and Sebastian Castro. The four of them have the Hawkeyes as one of the best defensive back units in America.

CBS Sports has slotted the Iowa Hawkeyes as the No. 3 defensive back room in the country ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Here’s what Cameron Salerno had to say about the Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s defense starts with reigning Broyles Award winner Phil Parker, who is considered one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Parker will coach a group led by the top slot cornerback in the nation, Sebastian Castro. With DeJean off to the NFL, Castro headlines a unit that ranked No. 15 in passing yards allowed (172.2) and No. 4 in scoring defense (13.2) in 2023.

Xavier Nwankpa is a breakout name to watch, and Quinn Schulte slots next to him on the back line. Jermari Harris recorded 42 tackles and an interception in 12 starts, while Deshaun Lee made six starts at corner last season. With some moderate improvements to last year’s lackluster offense, the defense could propel Iowa to a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. – Salerno, CBS Sports.

Ahead of Iowa are the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 1 and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 2. The rest of the top five after Iowa is the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 4 and the Michigan Wolverines at No. 5.

Iowa’s group of defensive backs is returning substantial production. The group combined for 216 tackles, 22 pass breakups, 13.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions and even contributed two sacks.

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Guessing the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in EA Sports College Football 25

Ahead of the return of EA Sports College Football 25, here is a guess at who may be the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in the game.

After a decade-long wait, the return of one of the most highly-anticipated video games is finally coming. EA Sports has announced that this summer will be the official return of EA Sports College Football 25.

The game was discontinued after NCAA Football was released in 2013. This pause came amid the strife around paying players for their name, image, and likeness. Obviously, it goes without saying that NIL has taken leaps and bounds to allow players to be correctly compensated.

With the return of the video game, fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes are eager to see their favorite team and its best players as they lead them to glory in dynasty mode. This is every Hawkeyes’ fans chance to light up the scoreboard and put up truly “video game” numbers on offense.

Ahead of the release, here is a guess at who are the top 10 highest-rated Iowa Hawkeyes in EA Sports College Football 25.

See You Next Fall: Jermari Harris announces he is returning to the Iowa Hawkeyes

Despite the portal and players going to the draft, Iowa is doing the opposite. Jermari Harris is back for one more year with the Hawkeyes.

The Iowa Hawkeyes got another one.

No, they didn’t go to the transfer portal. They kept another one of their own at home. Cornerback Jermari Harris has announced that he will be returning for another season in Iowa City.

This news comes on the heels of linebacker Jay Higgins announcing that he is coming back for another season despite surely having draft prospects and an NFL home. Something about being a Hawkeye has kept these two in black and gold one more year.

Harris, the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year for the Hawkeyes, started 12 games in 2023 and has appeared in 32 games for Iowa. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound defensive back totaled 42 tackles, nine pass breakups, and an interception. In total, he has a career line of 78 tackles, 17 pass breakups, and five interceptions.

Harris’ decision to stay proves critically important for Phil Parker’s defense and there is a very real chance it could be the first domino to fall in a secondary that is full of decisions.

Headlined by projected first-round NFL draft pick in cornerback Cooper DeJean, Iowa’s secondary is waiting on announcements on if DeJean is returning for another year along with decisions from safety Quinn Schulte and CASH Sebastian Castro, who had a coming out party this season.

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Jermari Harris’ return provides talent, experience infusion for Iowa

Back atop the depth chart, cornerback Jermari Harris provides an instant infusion of talent and experience in the Iowa defensive backfield.

The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ defensive backfield is adding back one of its top pieces this week versus Western Michigan.

Out each of the season’s first two games, junior cornerback Jermari Harris returns just in time to close out the nonconference portion of the schedule for the Hawkeyes.

Hawk Central’s Chad Leistikow reported that Harris missed each of Iowa’s first two games as part of an NCAA-levied suspension for his involvement in the Hawkeyes’ sports gambling investigation.

Now, as he readies to make his season debut, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz updated how involved Harris has been over the past several weeks and throughout training camp.

“He’s been really active, he’s been great. He’s had a great camp, and, basically, he’s been with our team, was with us Saturday. Just didn’t play the last two weeks. He’s fully engaged, ready to roll and it’ll be good to get him back,” Ferentz said.

Listed as the first team cornerback opposite junior Cooper DeJean coming out of the spring, Harris is also returning for Iowa after missing all of last season with an injury.

The 6-foot-1, 190 pound corner was terrific in 2021 as he stepped in for Matt Hankins as Hankins dealt with a season-ending shoulder injury. Harris appeared in all 13 games and started six that season for the Hawkeyes.

The Chicago, Ill., product tallied 34 tackles, broke up eight passes and came away with four interceptions. He also added 1.5 tackles for loss.

What does he bring back to the table for Iowa?

“Experience. He did a great job in a tough circumstance two years ago. All of a sudden he was in there, not maybe necessarily ready, but stepped up and did a really good job. The fun part, you talk about the human side of things, just to watch the growth that we’ve seen with him over his career, it’s just been unbelievable.

“He’s really developed into not only a good player but a really strong leader on our team and has taken a lot of ownership. Talking about mentoring young guys, he’s really been active helping younger guys try to get better,” Ferentz said.

(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)

The other silver lining for the Hawkeyes is that redshirt freshman corner Deshaun Lee picked up some valuable reps and starting experience against Utah State and Iowa State. For an Iowa team that came into 2023 with depth questions at corner, how well Lee played in the Hawkeyes’ first two games was an encouraging sign.

“Yeah, the good news there is, it’s kind of like Jemari’s situation a couple years ago. He got thrown in. I shouldn’t say thrown in, he earned his way to the field. We had an opening and he earned his way. Really did a good job.

“He’s played really well in two games now, and the good news for him is he’s gained a lot of confidence from his teammates, from the coaching staff. We came into the season with that being, depth at that position, the corner position being a real area of interest for us. Now, we have a lot more confidence in him, just like we did when Jermari stepped in and did the same thing,” Ferentz said.

Lee figures to remain a part of what Iowa is doing going forward given how well he performed in the Hawkeyes’ first two contests.

For Harris, his long-awaited return comes on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2:30 p.m. when Iowa plays host to Western Michigan on the Big Ten Network from Kinnick Stadium.

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Iowa releases Cy-Hawk availability report

Iowa just released its weekly availability report ahead of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown with Iowa State.

The Iowa Hawkeyes just released their Week 2 availability report ahead of this afternoon’s Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown versus Iowa State.

Like last week, an important name is listed as questionable.

For the second straight week to start the season, Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara is listed as questionable. Of course, the Reno, Nev., native played last week until the game was in hand in the fourth quarter.

McNamara finished Iowa’s opener 17-of-30 passing for 191 yards with a pair of touchdown passes. Each of those came on the Hawkeyes’ two opening drives. McNamara opened by connecting with sophomore wide receiver Seth Anderson for a 36-yard touchdown on Iowa’s second play from scrimmage. Then, he found senior tight end Erick All on a 3-yard touchdown strike on fourth down.

Redshirt freshmen wide receivers Jacob Bostick and Reese Osgood, senior defensive lineman Chris Reames, junior cornerback Jermari Harris and senior defensive tackle Noah Shannon were all listed as out.

Shannon is currently appealing his yearlong suspension from the NCAA for his involvement in sports gambling. Meanwhile, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz updated Harris’ status immediately following the Hawkeyes’ season-opening win over Utah State.

“He is going to be out next week, and then we’re looking forward to having him return,” Ferentz said of Harris.

As far as McNamara’s status is concerned, it just seems like his quad injury could be a nagging one throughout the next several weeks or even the entirety of the season.

“He has an injury, so we’re managing it all season long. That’s my guess, or at least until it heals. We’ll manage it and try to be smart about it. He’s looking okay. He’s sore, I can tell you that. Predictably, he’s sore,” Ferentz said of McNamara earlier this week.

Iowa kicks off against Iowa State in the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game from Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, at 2:30 p.m. CT on Fox.

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