Over a dozen offers came in for New Caney 2021 OLB Derrick Harris Jr. (6'3, 225), but all it took was one. 

It was June 2019 when Harris got the offer from Texas, and within a couple of months, he was a commit.
 
"I committed in August of last year. Texas was one of the first schools to recruit me heavily," said Harris, who picked UT over offers from Baylor, Texas A&M and Stanford. 

"I have been wearing Texas gear for years, and I've always wanted to throw up the 'Hook Em.' I remember watching Vince Young when I was a kid. It's a place I've always wanted to be, and I cannot wait to get there."
 
Former defensive coach Todd Orlando (now at USC) was the first to build a relationship with the DCTF four-star defender. After a couple stops at practice and keeping constant communication with Harris, it was a camp performance that sealed the deal on his UT offer.
 
"Coach Orlando wanted me to come to the camp. When I went there, I performed well," Harris said. "I got the offer, and I was excited. It was the one I was waiting on. When he (Orlando) left, the new coaches built a great bond with me. Coach (Coleman) Hutzler and coach (Tom) Herman keep in touch, and I'm cool with them."
 
Now that Harris has his recruitment taken care of, he will complete his last run with his Eagles team. After going 10-0 last season, New Caney lost in the first round of the playoffs. 

There are high hopes going into this season, but Harris, who had over 80 tackles last year with 4.5 sacks, said that many guys will have to play double duty due to depth. He said in addition to defense, he will play some at tight end and receiver.
 
"We lost a lot of seniors. So this year, there is a lot of sophomores and juniors who will need to step in and play," Harris said. "We are looking good and have gotten better in many ways. I think we have a chance to improve from last year."
 
After Harris completes his time in New Caney, he will be packing up to join the Longhorns in January as an early enrollee.