The college football season in Texas starts a week earlier than normal with a Week 0 matchup between North Texas and UTEP. To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas every day until Aug. 27. The list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best, though talent plays a major factor in most important.

No. 4: Frank Harris, UTSA senior quarterback

The History

Harris was a four-year starter at Schertz Clemens High School before becoming a three-star recruit who signed with his hometown Roadrunners over a host of other offers. He arrived onto the state-wide scene as a junior when he was all-state and the San Antonio Express-News All-Area Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,033 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for 2,741 yards and 38 more scores. He was a first-team all-district selection despite having his season cut short due to injury. 

Injuries defined Harris early in his career at UTSA. He set out the 2017 season and took a redshirt as he overcame his high school injury. A new injury popped up in his redshirt freshman season in 2018. And when he finally earned the starting spot in 2019, Harris’ season ended after the first four games due to another injury. It was a tough and dark time for Harris, who admits to contemplating quitting football because his body wasn’t holding up. 

Things turned around in the health department during the pandemic-altered 2020 season, which coincide with head coach Jeff Traylor’s first season on campus. Harris completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,630 yards and 12 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also rushed for 528 yards and nine scores. He was an honorable mention all-conference selection. Harris was a second-team All-CUSA selection in 2021 after leading the Roadrunners to an 11-1 regular season record and eventually to a C-USA championship. He set single-season school records in passing yards (3,177), completion percentage (.661), and total touchdowns responsible for (33). 

The Skillset 

Injuries cost Harris some of his explosiveness as a runner that he became known for early on in his prep career, but he’s made up for that loss in acceleration by learning how to play the quarterback position. Traylor calls Harris “the most improved player I’ve ever coached”. Harris is a leader who overcame adversity early in his college career. He’s unquestionably the face of the Roadrunners heading into a 2022 season that includes out-of-conference games against Houston, Army, and Texas. Harris is an improved passer who has become efficient with the football. He can still run, but he uses those legs to buy time in the passing game as often as he does to race for a first down. Still, his dual-threat nature puts opponents in a bind. 

The Impact 

Quarterback is the most important position in football and Harris provides the Roadrunners with an experienced leader at the position who doesn’t mind expectations and pressure. In fact, Harris welcomes that. There isn’t much that Harris hasn’t seen or experienced, and that makes him easy to bet on entering his redshirt senior season. The loss of star running back Sincere McCormick means the Roadrunners need Harris and the passing attack to step up another notch. Harris and the receiver trio of Zakhari Franklin, Joshua Cephus, and J.T. Clark make up the best passing attack in Conference USA. If Harris can stay healthy, he gives the Roadrunners a shot to repeat as conference champions and maybe win a bowl game for the first time in program history. 

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