Atlantic Coast

5 reasons why Brandon Harris is a great addition for North Carolina Football

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:50 p.m. ET

Fansided, Zach Bigalke/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris (6) drops back to pass in the 3rd quarter during game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Harris recently announced his transfer to North Carolina football. Here are five reasons why it could be a great move for the Tar Heels in 2017.

It was no secret that Brandon Harris was leaving LSU, as the quarterback began to scout schools once Les Miles was out the door. On Sunday afternoon, Harris announced that North Carolina will be his destination to play out his final season of eligibility for the Tar Heels. He plans to complete his degree at LSU by June, which will make him immediately eligible to play for Larry Fedora.

Obviously, it has been an important time for me, looking for a great situation and another opportunity to grow as a…

Posted by QB Brandon Harris on Sunday, March 26, 2017

Harris arrived in Baton Rouge with so much promise, and he seemed to offer immediate upside for an SEC and national contender. But because he was expected to be otherworldly immediately, Harris leaves his home state after having been oft-ridiculed for his performances with the Tigers. Now he heads to Chapel Hill and leaves behind the SEC for a shot at an ACC title.

Many will look at this as a foolish reach by a North Carolina program after first-round hopeful Mitch Trubisky declared for the NFL Draft. But here are five reasons why this could be a brilliant move by the Tar Heels as they seek to reload for 2017.

5. Harris was underdeveloped over three years at LSU

It isn't like Brandon Harris lacks talent. The Bossier City native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and was rated the third-ranked dual threat quarterback in the country in 2014.

While it seems odd in retrospect, he immediately showed promise as he challenged for the starting position in his freshman year. But it isn't like Harris was an anomaly as a Tigers prospect who never fully reached his potential at the quarterback position, and that comes down less to his potential than the failure of Les Miles and his coaching staff to develop Harris.

That failure is a major reason why Miles is no longer the head coach in Baton Rouge. Throughout his time as the head coach of the Bayou Bengals, Miles and his coaching staff consistently brought in high-rated quarterback recruits and consistently failed to develop them into more than raw talents trying to obsolete offense.

Harris remains a 6-foot-3, 206-pound quarterback who has a decent arm and can run the ball well, and better coaching could result in immediate gains.

Nov 14, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris (6) fumbles as he is hit by Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Dre Greenlaw (23) during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

4. A new environment could benefit both Harris and UNC

Though he was among the top recruits in the country three years ago, Brandon Harris opted to stay in his home state and play for its flagship institution. He courted the pressure of playing in front of individuals who knew what he had been able to do as a senior leading Parkway High School to an undefeated LHSAA 5A state championship. And those fans, in turn, were expecting to see more of the magic he had worked as a Panther.

It isn't as though he was a terrible quarterback at LSU, mind you. But beyond the developmental setbacks that hampered his chances to succeed in the SEC, Harris simply never replicated the sorts of highs that Louisiana football fans expected from him. And a move from the SEC West, where he was always being compared against Alabama and the other divisional heavyweights, to the ACC could help rejuvenate the career of a still-promising talent.

Dec 30, 2016; El Paso, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jordon Brown (2) scores a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal defense at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

3. The ACC Coastal division should be wide open in 2017

Beyond the more holistic benefits of getting a fresh start, Harris has chosen a situation that offers an instant chance at achieving the sort of success that eluded him in Baton Rouge.

North Carolina was one hurricane-aided defeat against Virginia Tech away from winning the ACC Coastal division for a second straight season, and the team returns seven starters on defense and plenty of talent on offense. The pieces are in place for North Carolina to once again threaten for the division title.

Virginia Tech has to replace its own starting quarterback with Jerod Evans going pro. So must both Miami and Pittsburgh, the two teams UNC tied for second in the division last year. Any one of these four teams could ostensibly wind up winning the division, and the advantage of bringing in a quarterback with starting experience against top-level defenses could help tip the scales for Fedora and his Tar Heels.

Nov 21, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Brandon Harris (6) gets past Mississippi Rebels defensive back Chief Brown (8) during the third quarter of the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi won 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

2. One last year could bolster his chances of going pro

Players like Brandon Harris have become increasingly valuable to NFL franchises. His combination of size, speed and throwing ability put him in the mold of other recent dual-threat quarterbacks that have begun to proliferate throughout the league.

And while his LSU highlights were never going to tip the needle much for NFL scouts, a solid senior season could put him back on teams' radars. After all, Mitch Trubisky only had one season as a starter and is looking at landing first-round money.

Much like a free agent playing the final year of his contract, the opportunity to change his NFL fortunes could easily spur Harris to finally harness his talents to their fullest potential. We have seen players like Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson all shine in recent years in the ACC, and Harris could rehabilitate his image by putting up similar performances.

Keeping the Tar Heels in ACC contention could be just the remedy Harris needs.

Nov 5, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) scores a touchdown on his forth quarter run against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 48-20. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

1. Who offers UNC a better chance to succeed in 2017?

The thing to remember is that North Carolina has been in this situation before. Last year, the Tar Heels were saying goodbye to Marquise Williams after he led UNC to the ACC Championship Game in 2015.

Enter Mitch Trubisky, who was able to boost his pro prospects by maintaining a similar level of play despite bringing a different style to the table. Fedora has shown the ability to rotate quarterbacks in and out and still manage to remain competitive.

That said, the team did not recruit a quarterback in 2017, and the three on the depth chart are all relatively inexperienced.

Nathan Elliott, Trubisky's backup last year, has thrown all of nine college attempts after redshirting in 2014. Chazz Surratt and Logan Byrd have never seen game action. All offer potential, but all are also relatively unknown commodities. Harris has at least as much raw talent as any of the trio, and when coupled with his SEC experience he could be the best person to fill another one-year gap for the Tar Heels.