Taylen Green, Malachi Singleton rave over Monte Harrison's impact on offense

Monte Harrison stands out among the other freshmen for Arkansas. Not only because is he a former four-star prospect who ranked as a top 50 receiver in his class, but also because he just celebrated his 29th birthday.

Harrison was originally committed to play for Nebraska in the 2014 cycle before being taken in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent the next few years in the minor leagues before eventually making his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2020.

Now exactly one decade after he graduated high school, Harrison will finally start using his eligibility to play college football as a walk-on with the Razorbacks. Despite not having played in a while, his potential is already evident to starting quarterback Taylen Green.

“One thing that sticks out to me is just his motor,” Green said. “Anything that the coaches ask him to do, he doesn’t say no. He had one of the largest player loads in the scrimmage. That just speaks volumes. He said, ‘bro, I was tired’ but you couldn’t really tell. He was running full speed, doing all the routes and all the special teams. That’s what really stood out the most to me.”

As a member of the Class of 2014, Harrison was a four-star recruit out of Lee’s Summit (Mo.) West, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 5 overall prospect in the state, the No. 50 wide receiver in the class and the No. 297 overall prospect in the class.

During his senior year of high school, Harrison showcased why he was one of the best prospects in the area. He finished with 60 catches for 1,007 yards, 13 touchdowns, 198 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns and even threw a touchdown.

Harrison also comes from an athletic family — his brother Shaquille played in the NBA — and has the tools to make an impact right away in Fayetteville.

“He’s huge,” backup QB Malachi Singleton said. “He’s about 6-3, 225-230, is fast and he has really good hands. He can make any catch in the books. You can tell he’s a little rusty just coming from baseball, but he’s gonna be a really big piece for us this year for sure.”

It’s unclear exactly how much playing time Harrison will get this upcoming season, but it’s worth nothing he was seen working with the first team in practice on Monday. Arkansas returns its top four pass catchers from a year ago, however, so targets could be hard to come by.

Harrison could also factor in on kickoff and punt returns, as his ability to track a ball down learned from baseball gives him reliable hands. He also brings speed with 210 stolen bases in his minor league career and seven stolen bases in the MLB.

Wherever Harrison makes his biggest impact though, he’s certainly one of the most interesting names to watch this fall. Fans can see him in action for the first time when the Razorbacks host Arkansas-Pine Bluff to kick off the season on Aug. 29.