Snead, who earned all-conference honors as a receiver and return specialist, led the team in receptions (53), punt returns and yards (12 for 144), kickoff returns and yards (18 for 409) and all-purpose yards 1,145. Already light years ahead of a typical freshman in terms of understanding the offense and what is expected from them, that duo seems poised to take over the bulk of ECU’s rushing duties moving forward. Through the first four games, Harris has emerged as the leading rusher for ECU. “I’ll say this — and it reminds me of when I was playing in college — you go from playing in high school and then you play a little bit and then that first game when you play a large number of reps, the next day you feel like you’ve been hit by a Mack truck. Keaton Mitchell, ECU running back — Not much went right on a long evening for East Carolina, but Mitchell was a bright spot, rushing 15 times for 111 yards and the Pirates’ lone touchdown. “You don’t know how quickly, though, they’ll be able to show that.”. Nevertheless, Houston is likely to keep the running back competition open for the entirety of the season, but after overcoming some initial soreness from their increased workload, the Pirates’ freshman running back tandem is prepared once again for Saturday. “We talked about Rahjai Harris … The Raleigh, N.C. native authored a pair of 100-yard receiving games (105/Georgia State, 108/Tulsa) and topped 100-plus all-purpose yards four times, including 231 at Georgia State and 244 at Temple. For the second-straight season, Smith was the top tackler on the team by booking 72 stops, an average of 8.0 per contest to stand fifth in The American. Owner/operator of pirateanalysis.com, covering ECU athletics. Both very accomplished players at their respective high schools, Harris and Mitchell worked themselves into prominent roles within the Pirates’ offense with a strong preseason camp. Mason Garcia got in late in the contest and engineered one ECU scoring drive when Rahjai Harris scored from one yard in a 49-17 contest. 2nd and 11 at TLN35 He shared the Rookie of the Year award with SMU running back Ulysses Bentley IV, who led the league with more than 900 yards rushing. In fact, he and Mitchell are one and two on that list with a combined 59 carries for 266 yards. He has carried the ball 57 times for 330 yards, an incredible 5.8 yards per carry. Harris led ECU in rushing during the 2020 season, compiling 624 rushing yards and four touchdowns in eight games, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and ranking third in The American in rushing as a true freshman (78.0 ypg). GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - ECU senior place kicker Jake Verity and freshman running back Rahjai Harris were both honored by the American Athletic Conference on … ). Rahjai Harris (47) Running Back - Committed to East Carolina on Sept. 28, 2019 … Early enrollee (January) For ECU, this one is markedly different from the others in that for the first time since Ruffin McNeill was fired in 2015, the team heads into an offseason with a burst of confidence and positive momentum. While the Pirates returned their top rusher from a season ago in Demetrius Mauney and an experienced back in Darius Pinnix Jr., Houston pulled in two very promising recruits in Rahjai Harris and Keaton Mitchell. He also caught a pass for 26 yards. Rahjai Harris had a 1-yard touchdown run for ECU with 17 seconds remaining, only for UC’s Cameron Young to rip off a 75-yard TD at the 10-second mark to create the final score. ( Log Out / A lot of people don’t like practice that are probably great players, but he acts like he likes practice. “Like I say, Rahjai is The Bus, he’s the next Jerome Bettis,” Kirkpatrick said. ( Log Out / 80-yard rushing score in fourth quarter was the longest by an ECU running back since James Summers’ 81-yarder in 2016; 100-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games (115 vs. USF, 172 vs. Navy) — first time for ECU running back since Tay Cooper in 2013 27: 20: FG. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. 2nd and 2 at TEMPLE41: HARRIS, Rahjai rush for 13 yards to the TEMPLE28, 1ST DOWN ECU (GRIFFIN,M.J.). The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Rahjai Harris of the East Carolina Pirates ... Rahjai Harris 80 Yd Run (Jake Verity Kick) 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:00. Cincinnati and Tulsa are set to square off in the conference championship game this coming Saturday in Ohio. 1st and 10 at TEMPLE28: HARRIS, Rahjai rush for 4 yards to the TEMPLE24 (ODOM,Alex). Those cumulative yards are the second-most through three contests in program history since 2001, while the carries stand as the most in the first trio of games since 2000. Latest on East Carolina Pirates running back Rahjai Harris including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN Against Navy, he logged a personal-best 15 tackles, marking the fourth time in his career with double-digit stops. ECU head football coach Mike Houston spent the off-season lauding the depth and overall talent level of his running back room. The effort snapped freshman Rahjai Harris' three-game streak of rushing for 100-plus yards. Cincinnati's Luke Fickell, who guided his team to an undefeated record to this point, was named the AAC coach of the year. “I thought early in the Central Florida game that both of those guys showed that the stage is not too big, and they continue to show me that,” Kirkpatrick said. The thing is, wow is he fun to be around. First college TD ✔ pic.twitter.com/lvCqPkU2ep. Harris was announced as an award-winner on Tuesday, also becoming the first ECU true freshman to be named a first-team all-conference player since cornerback Travis Williams in … Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder was named the league's offensive player of the year, while Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins earned defensive player of the year honors. Rahjai Harris goes 80 yards to the house. 1st & 10 at ECU 28. The Greenwave had a more balanced performance of 277 … East Carolina’s Rahjai Harris, with ball, tries to move the pile for extra yardage in the Pirates’ last home game Oct. 17 against Navy at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The freshman running back, who is well on his way to gaining star … The Winston-Salem, N.C. native booked multiple tackles in eight of nine games in 2020, which included a season-high five on three occasions. Rahjai Harris, ECU running back — On a day in which the Pirates’ passing attack was all but nonexistent, Harris wasn’t just the team’s main offensive threat — he was virtually its only viable offensive option. At 5-foot-10, 228 pounds, Harris has the size to consistently get yards between the tackles, and the speed to break the big one. Freshman running back Rahjai Harris rushed a team-high 13 times for 27 yards, snapping his streak of three consecutive games with at… ‘I think we got a good tandem going there’: freshmen Rahjai Harris, Keaton Mitchell have taken over ECU’s running back room. Harris has had three touchdowns this season, which includes an 80-yard rushing touchdown against Navy on Oct 17. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 624 rushing yards and four touchdowns in eight games, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and ranking third in The American in rushing as a true freshman (78.0. Harris did not play in the season finale against the Mustangs when ECU won 52-38 due to injury, but he started the previous five games and posted three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances (at USF, Navy, at Tulsa) during the middle of the year. Rahjai Harris runs 80 yards for ECU TD. While it usually takes freshmen a year to adjust to playing at the collegiate level, both Harris and Mitchell have fit right into Houston’s vision for how he wants his running back room to operate. 0:37. Last week, the freshman showcased why those comparisons are warranted with his 115-yard, two touchdown effort in the Pirates’ 44-24 win over USF. - ECU Media Relations contributed to this report. If Harris would have played a normal 12 … That was something they had to get used to, which is the reason we do some of the things we do on Sunday. 2nd and 9 at ECU49: SNEAD, Tyler rush reverse for 17 yards to the TLN34, 1ST DOWN ECU, out-of-bounds (Dyson,C. They know how to set-up blocks, they know how to run behind blocks, they know how to find the holes, they both have good enough speed.”. Excited about those guys and they’re ready to go on Saturday.”. Holton Ahlers threw for three touchdowns and Rahjai Harris ran for two scores and East Carolina beat South Florida 44-24 on Saturday night. Rahjai Harris rushed for 75 yards on just twelve carries in the first two quarters for ECU. “They have the qualities that good running backs have to have. The Pirates amassed 386 yards of offense and allowed the Green Wave to rack up 493 total yards. Sunday they knew they had played a college football game on Saturday. He reached the endzone seven times on the year (5/rcv, 1/rush, 1/KOR) and threw for a score in the season finale against SMU. At 5’10” 228 pounds, Harris has drawn comparisons from ECU’s coaching staff to Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. Mitchell also surpassed the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, accounting for 124 of ECU's 204 rushing yards. Harris was joined by second-teamers Tyler Snead (wide receiver, return specialist) and Ja'Quan McMillian, along with honorable mention linebacker Xavier Smith. With the win, ECU ended a six-game skid against the Bulls. Rookies of the Year: RB Rahjai Harris, ECU; RB Ulysses Bentley IV, SMU. HARRIS, Rahjai rush up middle for 1 yard to the ECU49 (Johnson,Pa.). Harris was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for his performance and vaulted to the top of ECU’s rushing leaderboard. Change ). Rahjai Harris logged a career-high 172 rushing yards on 22 attempts Saturday. SMU kicker Chris Naggar was named the special teams player of the year. Harris led ECU in rushing during the 2020 season, compiling 624 rushing yards and four touchdowns in eight games, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and … “Like I say, Rahjai is The Bus, he’s the next Jerome Bettis,” Kirkpatrick said. “I’d said one of these weeks that you recruit them and you know they got talent, if you can judge talent and if you can’t judge talent, you wouldn’t be in this business very long,” ECU offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said earlier this week. 1st & 10 at ECU 28. (Rob Goldburg - ECU Photo) Mark Lindsay • PirateIllustrated He shared the Rookie of the Year award with SMU running back Ulysses Bentley IV, who led the league with more than 900 yards rushing. Rahjai Harris could be the second iteration of Darius Pinnix Jr. “He’s got unbelievable feet. ( Log Out / The thing is, … Harris did not play in the season finale against the Mustangs when ECU won 52-38 due to injury, but he started the previous five games and posted three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances (at USF, Navy, at Tulsa) during the middle of the year. Rahjai Harris run for 2 yds to the ECaro 14 Rahjai Harris fumbled, forced by Deshawn Pace, recovered by Cincy Will Adams , return for 16 yds to the ECaro 14 In a game started by Mitchell, the Pirates leaned heavily on their true freshmen backs to the tune of 34 carries for 157 yards and two scores. The Stafford, Va. native closed out the season with six stops against SMU, which pushed his current streak to 21-straight games with multiple tackles. ( Log Out / Snead’s lone special teams touchdown came during the second quarter against the Owls when he returned his second career kickoff 95 yards earning him AAC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week accolades. For ECU, QB Holton Ahlers also has running ability, and starting freshman running back Rahjai Harris certainly is looking to improve upon his total of 27 yards a week ago. Rahjai Harris is a 5-11, 185-pound Running Back from Duncan, SC. ECU head football coach Mike Houston spent the off-season lauding the depth and overall talent level of his running back room. He also led the unit in TFLs (8.0/-30 yards) and pass breakups (six), while ranking second in sacks (2.5/-22 yards). Instead of taking a knee late, Cincinnati scored one last time on a 75-yard Cameron Young touchdown run with just ten seconds to play. Harris’ career day resulted in the most single-game rushing yards by an ECU true freshman running back since Chris Johnson’s 158 against Tulane in 2004. TOUCHDOWN, ECU! Meanwhile the Pirate defense limited Tulsa quarterback Zach Smith to just 59 first half passing yards, forced two interceptions and held Tulsa to just 109 first half total yards. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Listed anywhere from 5’10” to 6-feet tall, Harris is a stocky, powerful runner at 205 pounds. HARRIS, Rahjai rush for 8 yards to the TEMPLE41 (ODOM,Alex;KWENKEU, W.). It's now 27-20 Navy with 14:15 remaining in the game. Rahjai Harris runs 80 yards for ECU TD. https://www.salisburypost.com/2020/10/11/college-football-ecu-rolls 1st and 10 at TLN34: HARRIS, Rahjai rush up middle for loss of 1 yard to the TLN35 (Hicks,E.). Navy Outlasts ECU 27-23 ECU's Rahjai Harris ran for 172 yards on Saturday to no avail as Navy upends the Pirates 27-23 in Greenville. The physicality of Pinnix, which has been on display at East Carolina University for the last handful of seasons, can also be seen in Harris’ high school highlight reel. “He’s got unbelievable feet. 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