Arkansas football player E’Marion Harris has earned the right to start in his hometown

E’Marion Harris has seen his rise on the offensive line at the University of Arkansas.

Harris, a redshirt sophomore from Little Rock, will start at left guard when the Razorbacks face Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday night at War Memorial Stadium after beginning training camp as the second-team left tackle.

This is the first college start for Harris, whose first name is pronounced AH-mar-e-YON. He was a four-star recruit at Joe T. Robinson High School.

“I think the development we saw from spring to fall was crazy,” said left tackle Fernando Carmona, a junior transfer from San Jose State. “I’ve never seen anything like that from a player before.”

“He was in the second group in the spring, and then fall training camp comes along and this guy is developing into a whole new player. Just the way he’s developed his mindset, the way he attacks every day in practice, I’m excited to play alongside him. I know we’re going to do some damage out there.”

Harris will not only be the starting player, he will also serve as team captain during the pregame coin toss.

“It means the world to me, just because I’m from Little Rock,” Harris said Wednesday on coach Sam Pittman’s radio show. “To go out there and play for my home state means a lot to me.”

Junior Patrick Kutas, who opened training camp as the first-team left guard, has missed several weeks of practice because of a back injury and will not play Thursday. But Pittman said Harris has earned the right to start.

“E’Marion Harris has had an excellent camp and I don’t know if he’s going to let up,” said Pittman. “He’s really not 5 [among the linemen]. If you were to say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – it is not 5.

“I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he’s 3, I don’t know if he’s 4, but he’s not 5. He’s done a really good job. I’m really happy with how he’s progressed and gained weight.”

Harris is listed at 6’1″ and 295 lbs. As a freshman in 2022, he weighed 330 lbs.

“He was too heavy when he came here, and then he lost about 100 pounds and got too light,” said senior All-SEC defensive end Landon Jackson. “And now he’s finally starting to gain the weight back.”

Pittman said Harris had lost weight down to 275 pounds.

“He had lost so much weight … and I’m not sure if that didn’t affect his psyche as well, because he wasn’t able to move people,” Pittman said. “He was always fast and always had pretty good technique, but now that he’s over 300 pounds, I think his confidence is a lot higher.”

Harris’ father, Elliott Harris, was a defensive lineman for the Razorbacks from 2001 to 2004. E’Marion Harris played on the offensive line and defensive line in high school.

“He just told me he rocks the team that I like,” Harris said of his father’s approval of his decision to play offensive line in college.

Harris played in six games last season with a total of 23 offensive snaps against Western Carolina, BYU and Florida International and was also used on special teams.

The 2022 Liberty Bowl was Harris’ only previous extended game appearance. He played right guard in the Razorbacks’ 55-53 third-overtime win over Kansas after starter Ty’Kieast Crawford suffered a leg injury in the first quarter.

“The coaching staff has invested a lot in me this offseason and this fall camp,” Harris said. “Now it’s time to flip the switch.”

Harris established himself as left guard after Addison Nichols and Amaury Wiggins also played there in the first team.

“E had a fantastic training camp,” said Nichols, a redshirt sophomore from Tennessee who will start at center. “He was really unbelievable. He really put in the effort, great effort, great execution and he’s someone you can trust to play next to him.”

“I feel like we have a room full of guys who all want to win…all can play at a very high level and E is a great example of that.

“To be able to take a position that he filled without asking questions, without batting an eyelid. He just came in and filled it – beyond all expectations. I’m extremely proud of him.”

Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos said Harris is “by far the most improved player” in his position group.

“You can see it in his movements,” Mateos said. “He’s got his shoulders back, his chest up, his chin up. He’s got confidence. He’s got his weight back where he wants it. He feels strong.”

“You just see the maturity he’s showing as a third-year player, and that’s underrated. Usually, it’s the third year when guys… you know what, or come off the pot, right? You can tell he’s made that step.”

Jackson said he observed a different mental approach from Harris in training.

“He knows what he wants. He wants to play. He’s tired of not playing,” Jackson said. “He comes every day and works really hard.”

Quarterback Taylen Green said Harris is always prepared and smiling.

“He’s not afraid to ask any question he has,” Green said. “He’s a good fit for what we have.”

“I can’t wait for him to show what he’s been working on day after day.”

Harris is also listed as a second-team left tackle, so he can move from the guard position to the outside if needed.

“He can do both,” Mateos said. “I mean, he was great at both.”

“It’s just hard to find a bad game from the guy, you know? So he belongs there. He deserves to play.”