Out of all the defensive playmakers, junior cornerback Jermari Harris has unfortunately been left behind on the preseason hype train.
The nation’s attention is firmly on his defensive back partner Cooper DeJean, which is fair given the sophomore season Cooper had. DeJean was the breakout superstar last year at the cornerback position, but people forget how he ended up playing on the outside. DeJean was originally slated to play the CASH position, but injuries forced him into action on the outside. Injuries to players such as Jermari Harris.
It’s a shame what a year’s time can do for a player, especially when he misses the season due to injury. Harris has sort of become the forgotten member of Iowa’s defense, and he certainly isn’t a player that you should sleep on.
Harris was somewhat a breakout star in his own right his sophomore year, contributing four picks in 2021. He was supposed to be the budding superstar opposite Riley Moss last season. Now, Harris will look to prove that his injury last year did not wipe out his breakout year as a starter. Rather, it only delayed it to 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about starting Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris.
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Jermari Harris’ Preseason Player Profile
(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 190
Class in 2023: Jr.
Recruiting
| Stars | Overall | State | Position | |
| 247 | 3 | N/A | 33 | 136 |
| Rivals | 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ESPN | 3 | N/A | 30 | 135 |
| On3 Recruiting | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 247 Composite | 3 | 1,596 | 39 | 151 |
Before Iowa
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
- Earned second-team all-state honors as a senior
- First-team all-area and all-conference as a senior
- Member of prep basketball team that won state title his sophomore season.
Career Stats
| Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
| *2019 | Iowa | Big Ten | FR | DB | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | Iowa | Big Ten | FR | DB | |||||||||||||||
| *2021 | Iowa | Big Ten | SO | DB | 10 | 22 | 12 | 34 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| *2022 | Iowa | Big Ten | JR | DB | |||||||||||||||
| Career | Iowa | 24 | 12 | 36 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Depth Chart Overview
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Jermari Harris once again enters the season as the second starting cornerback, this time opposite to rising junior Cooper DeJean. Harris was also poised for a breakout season as the starter last year, but lost his entire season due to an injury. Now, he looks to form a lockdown duo with DeJean.
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