5-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor sets official visit to Oregon

Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor has scheduled an official visit to Oregon, he told reporters at hotel check-in for the Under Armour All-America Game. Harbor will be in Eugene from Jan. 27-29.

“Just the track and football side of things,” Harbor said about Oregon. “You see what coach Lanning has done this year. He’s turning the program. They got 10 wins this season. They’re a pretty good program. Overall, just everything about it. Plus track and then plus Nike and all that. It’s a great fit. It sounds great to me just for what I’m trying to achieve and stuff, with the track and football aspects. You got the best of both words there.”

Harbor is the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 1 athlete in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player in Washington D.C.

“They’re just trying to get me out there (so) we can talk one-on-one, privately about it,” Harbor said about Oregon’s track program, one of the best in the country. “But they’re just (telling) me that I could be the next great USA runner. That’s where I see myself at because I’m doing some unspeakable stuff, some unheard of stuff. With that, it’s just gonna keep getting better and better.”

When he enrolls in college, Harbor believes he can balance both sports. He compared himself to two-sport athlete and Texas A&M running back Devon Achane.

A 6-foot-5, 225-pound recruit, Harbor has previously visited the Ducks. The trip gave him a positive impression about the program.

“It really is probably the best of both worlds in terms of the track facilities, football facilities, just the whole brand,” Harbor said.

Harbor will be mainly playing offense in college

Harbor, one of the most dynamic players in the 2023 cycle, is capable of playing both sides of the ball. Today, he shared that he will likely be on the offensive side of the ball in college.

“I’m playing tight end/receiver in college,” Harbor said. “I’ll be playing a hybrid of both, depending on the formation, in line tight end, slot, X, Z, all of that.”

However, the five-star did not rule out playing on defense.

“You might see me on a couple defensive snaps, just going to rush the quarterback,” Harbor said. “But for me and then for my sake and all the coaches that we talked to, they want to see me on the offensive side. I got great potential with both sides and a lot of people want to see me on the defensive side. But, you know, 250 (pounds), 260, 245 (isn’t) going to work in my favor because the bigger you get, the (more) the speed declines. That’s the biggest part of my game, it’s the speed.”

Harbor, who is committing on Feb. 1, has already taken official visits to Maryland, Michigan and South Carolina. He also shared that a possible official to LSU is “most likely not” happening.

In addition to football, Harbor is paying close attention to a school’s academic offerings. Two of his potential career paths are becoming an orthopedic surgeon or an oral surgeon.

“(The) academics gotta be good and strong,” Harbor said.