Countdown to Kickoff: 5 Days (J-Shun Harris)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

#5

Have you made your plans yet? After a long offseason and a whole bunch of reviews, previews, recruiting articles, podcasts filled with our wildest hypotheticals and fever dreams and 95 Hoosier Huddle Countdown pieces, the season opener against Florida International is only five days away! Today, we focus on an offensive speedster returning from an ACL injury that cost him the 2015 season: wide receiver J-Shun Harris!

J-Shun Harris II

-Height: 5’8”
-Weight: 170 pounds
-Hometown: Fishers, Indiana
-Position: Wide Receiver

J-Shun Harris starred as a playmaker at Fishers High School in the Indianapolis-area before coming to Bloomington as a member of the 2014 recruiting class. Harris holds school records at Fishers for receptions (133), receiving yardage (2,032), touchdown catches (17) and punt return TDs (five) and he was a part of the school’s only football state title in 2010. He was rated as the state’s 13th best prospect and was a four-year letterwinner in both football and track. 

The 2014 Hoosiers had a need at wide receiver and Harris quickly stepped into a role as a slot receiver. During his true freshman season, he caught 18 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. In total, he was third on the team in yardage and fourth in receptions and he led Indiana with a 20.6 average on kick returns. Harris was at his best in the Hoosiers victory over Bowling Green as he hauled in seven passes for a career-best 68 yards. His play earned him a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team and named IU’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year. Hopes were high that he could play a valuable role as a slot receiver catching passes from a healthy Nate Sudfeld in 2015. Unfortunately, Harris suffered an ACL injury during the summer and he missed the entire 2015 season.

After a long rehab process, it appeared Harris had recovered nicely from the injury and he appeared to be 100% healthy and ready for the season. He’d been cutting and running routes with the quickness that made him such an enticing prospect coming out of high school and Kevin Johns told the media that “J-Shun Harris is back”. Unfortunately, during IU’s first scrimmage, Harris tried to cut and crumpled to the turf. He had torn the ACL in his other knee. It’s a disheartening blow for the Fishers native and he’ll miss his second consecutive season. He has a long road ahead of him but he knows he’s capable of returning to football shape and that he’s capable of doing it again. 

Share your thoughts on J-Shun Harris in our comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day as the 2016 season inches ever closer!