Former Kentucky pledge Taj Harris steps away from football

At one point, former Syracuse wide receiver Taj Harris was Kentucky’s potential go-to pass-catching threat in 2022, committing to the program last November. Just one month later, though, he backed away from that pledge and later announced his commitment to Rutgers.

Now, the 6-foot-2 outside receiver and Palmyra (N.J.) High product is stepping away from football completely.

Harris, who committed to Rutgers in January, says he’s now turning his attention to his family and himself moving forward. To do that, he must give up the sport he loves most — “for now.”

“I have decided to step away from the game that I love for now to focus on my family and myself,” Harris announced. “Please respect my privacy. I will have no further comment at this time.”

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— Taj Harris 🕷 (@_harris3) September 5, 2022

Harris spent four years at Syracuse before entering the transfer portal, racking up 2,037 yards and 10 touchdowns on 152 total catches from 2018-2021.

After arriving on campus at Rutgers in January, he participated in spring practice and training camp before making his debut Saturday vs. Boston College. In his first game action as a Scarlet Knight, he caught just one ball for nine yards in 11 offensive snaps.

When asked about Harris’ role, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said the lack of playing time had nothing to do with off-field issues. Instead, it came down to depth in the wide receiver room and anticipated production elsewhere.

“I think it’s just competition. We have a lot of guys that are playing. You saw we played a lot of guys at a lot of positions, and that was on purpose,” Schiano said Monday. “I’m hopeful that his reps will grow as we get more and more comfortable. He is a newcomer that has worked hard to get himself in a position to compete. I’m hopeful that that grows.”

Harris led all wide receivers in the program’s spring game with 44 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Now, he’s stepping away from the sport entirely.

As for the Wildcats, Tayvion Robinson has emerged as WR1, finishing with 136 receiving yards in his Kentucky debut on Saturday. He added another 25 yards as a punt returner, giving him a combined 161 all-purpose yards, good for No. 20 among all FBS players to open the season.

Elsewhere, true freshmen Dane Key and Barion Brown combined for two total scores and 98 receiving yards on seven catches in their debuts as starting wide receivers for the Wildcats. Overall, nine different players caught passes for Kentucky vs. Miami (OH), with starting quarterback Will Levis racking up 303 passing yards and three touchdowns in the team’s 37-13 win.