Advanced Scouting: Defensive end Cortez Harris feels like a Penn State defender

Penn State’s defensive end room is one of the strongest units on the team during head coach James Franklin’s tenure with the Nittany Lions. Finding and developing top talent has been a successful venture for each of the team’s three defensive line coaches. After a positive opening class in 2024, Deion Barnes will try to find the next great edge rusher to join the program.With that in mind, we’re looking at one of the team’s top in-region prospects in four-star edge rusher Cortez Harris. Harris is a top-200 prospect by three of the four major services and holds an industry rating of 167 early in 2025. So, what style of defensive end is he, and can he cut it in the competitive Penn State defensive end room? Let’s take an early look at his highlight film to see what it tells us.