July Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 25 S Jaden Harris

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster based on projected production, and today we’re at No. 25, Jaden Harris.

THE BIG PICTURE

There are a couple of scenarios at safety, where Miami’s depth chart is fairly bereft of proven, experienced talent. One is that Jaden Harris and Markeith Williams, both backups last season aside from when Kam Kinchens was injured (when Harris started) or the bowl game (when Williams started with Kinchens and James Williams opting out), are your new starters. The other is that Washington transfer Mishael Powell moves from nickel, where he spent the spring, to safety. He played both positions with the Huskies. In the latter scenario, you’d have Harris and Williams battling for that other starting safety spot. There’s no other experience at the position that’s not true freshmen, so the team needs guys like Harris and Markeith Williams to come through.

JULY PLAYER PERFORMANCE INDEX: No. 30 Elijah Alston, No. 29 Josh Horton, No. 28 Raul Aguirre … No. 27 D’yoni Hill … No. 26 Samson Okunlola

THE ANALYSIS

Harris played 130 reps last year, with most of his action when Kinchens was out injured. He had some decent moments but also was inconsistent, perhaps unsurprising for a guy getting his first real action as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Harris ended last season with seven tackles and shared a tackle for a loss. Per Pro Football Focus he graded out at a not-good 54.4 percent overall (57.6 run defense, 82.7 tackle grade, 53.9 cover grade). He was noted being targeted in coverage five times, allowing three catches for 41 yards. A former 4-star recruit in the Class of 2022 out of Georgia, Harris redshirted as a freshman that year (played four games and 18 reps, struggled and gave up 69-yard TD in coverage vs. Middle Tennessee). So he has a lot to prove.

THE PROJECTION

If Powell moves back to safety we see a battle between Markeith Williams and Jaden Harris brewing … and either could win out. But we do have Williams ahead of Harris on this list, based on his starting in the bowl game and having a solid showing with eight tackles. Neither really stood out much this spring, so they really are basically neck-and-neck entering fall with both having talent but not much experience and some consistency issues. Given the Lance Guidry defensive scheme that lets the safety blitz, cover and roam the back end, one or both of these guys really needs to step up. We can see Harris with around 30-40 tackles and a few tackles for loss with an interception or two. Nothing earth-shattering, but if he can hold his own on the back end that would certainly help a defense that has a lot of question marks in the secondary after losing four starters.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Harris has the physical tool to succeed at a solidly built 5-11 and 196 pounds, and Miami even worked him at nickel in spring ball of 2023, so he does have that coverage ability as needed. But consistency is really the issue here. He has to start showing that he “gets” it and is ready to be a leader from a safety position in Guidry’s system that puts guys in position to make a lot of game-changing plays.

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