Derrick Harmon, Detroit Loyola product, sees NFL Draft stock soar after season at Oregon

Derrick Harmon made a huge move when he transferred to Oregon from Michigan State heading into the 2024 college football season.

Not only did Harmon get the opportunity to help Oregon win the Big Ten championship and earn the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff, he set up his future for an NFL career.

Harmon, a former standout at Detroit Loyola, was an afterthought for the 2025 NFL Draft after his redshirt sophomore season at Michigan State in 2023 when he got in on 40 tackles from his defensive tackle position, 3½ for lost yardage.

Well, Harmon turned into a star at Oregon, a reason he has declared for the NFL Draft, in which his name is now mentioned in the first round of multiple NFL mock drafts, including No. 17 (Cincinnati Bengals) by Yahoo! Sports and No. 16 (Arizona Cardinals) by CBS Sports. The Pro Football Network projects the 49ers to pick Harmon at No. 11 and has Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker (Detroit Cass Tech) headed to the Lions at No. 32.

Walker was a second-team All-American in USA Today’s preseason rankings.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has Harmon No. 14 on his board, the No. 4 defensive linemen, saying: “He combines quickness with power to cause chaos for opponents.”

Yes, Harmon’s thick build and long arms and athleticism give him the ability to line up anywhere from 3-technique to nose tackle, making him versatile and valuable for the next level.

Harmon made the most of his one year at Oregon, getting in on 41 tackles, 10½ TFL and five sacks while forcing two fumbles and recovering two fumbles.

“I’ve seen it, not putting too much attention to it because a lot can change,” Harmon said of the mock drafts. “I know I still have a lot of work to do.”

So, how impressive was Harmon?

Well, Harmon led the nation in total pressures from an interior defensive lineman with 55, 12 higher than the next-highest player.

One reason for Harmon’s breakout season was his ability to drop 30 pounds and play at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds after playing his final season at Michigan State at 340.

“Going to Oregon was really good for me,” said Harmon, who said he was filing his papers to declare for the draft Monday and was set to travel to Dallas to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine. “I had a good season, and we capitalized on a good season. I loved my team. I feel I improved by being more of a leader and I loved my pass-rushing ability too.

“I left (Michigan) State just because I wanted a better opportunity. I feel I’ve always had good technique in the run game just from the coaches I’ve had previously so for me, so it was more tuning up the pass rush. Coach T (defensive line coach Tony Tuioti) and Coach Tosh (defensive coordinator Lupoi) are good coaches, Coach Tuioti taught me a lot about the run game, played a lot of different positions on the line from the 0 all the way to the 5, so all those techniques he was able to teach me to take to the league.

“At State I played at 6-5 and 340 and this year I played at 6-5 at 315, 320. I could tell the difference, more agile and just as strong.”

Harmon said beating Ohio State 32-31 in Eugene during the regular season was his highlight. He had three tackles, and a forced fumble which he recovered at the Buckeyes’ 28 to set up a touchdown.

Harmon still thinks of his days at Loyola, saying “Coach Cal (John Callahan) is a great coach, still coaching to this day (at Hazel Park). He just told me a lot about ball, and he told me I had potential to play at the college level and at the NFL level just like he told me he did with Malik McDowell before me, so that was cool.”

McDowell started his high school career at Loyola before moving on to Southfield, then playing at Michigan State before being picked in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Seahawks.

High praise for Dante Moore

Former Detroit King standout quarterback Dante Moore started several games at UCLA as a true freshman in 2023 before transferring to Oregon.

Moore stood on the sidelines and watched Dillon Gabriel operate as the Ducks’ quarterback, becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist, completing 72.9% of his passes for 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns (to just six interceptions). Oregon was 13-0 before a quarterfinal loss to Ohio State in the CFP.

When asked how Moore will perform next season with Gabriel using up his six years of eligibility, Harmon replied: “He’s going to be the truth. You can learn a lot sitting behind a Heisman finalist. Dante Moore is going to be a Heisman finalist next year. He’s that good.”

Moore was ranked No. 5 on CBS Sports listing of 16 players who will define the race for the 2025 national championship, saying Moore is “now the obvious choice to lead the explosive Will Stein’s offense,” and will be aided by receiver Evan Stewart, who announced Tuesday that he will return for ’25 season.

Former Belleville standout Bryce Underwood — the No. 1 recruit in the nation who signed with Michigan — was also among the 16 players listed by CBS Sports for those who will define the race for the national championship.

david.goricki@detroitnews.com