Mykel Williams is the Georgia edge defender that’s earned the most attention this spring, and properly so. He’s a leader and a former five-star who made a transition from defensive end to outside linebacker to try and unlock his full potential. In doing so, Williams has opened up opportunities for a man like Gabe Harris, who’s making the most of the opportunity.
A second-year athlete out of Valdosta, Harris was recruited to the Athens as an outside linebacker. Part of a three-headed monster of a class that also included Damon Wilson and Sam M’Pemba, each of whom ranked in the top-50 nationally, Harris pursued a different path.
With Georgia at a deficit in terms of depth at the defensive end early last season, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Harris found his place.
Harris participated in 11 games as a freshman, amassing nine tackles, including six solo stops. He had three tackles for loss, backing opponents up 17 yards in the process.
While he wasn’t necessarily a go-to-guy for Georgia, Harris certainly was valuable, and entering 2024, he’s making a strong case for more playing time.
“Man, I thought he had a good day today. I can’t say his whole spring was like that, but he was disruptive today,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs’ spring game on Saturday. “He’s twitchy; he’s hard to block. I adore the way he plays.
But he sometimes plays out of control, which can be a positive thing and it was good tonight on some occasions. But on the opening play of the game, he botched up, went the wrong way, and didn’t line up straight. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re getting with Gabe. But you do get amazing effort and you do get great tenacity. I love that.”
Harris had a trio of tackles during the 15th and final appearance for Georgia this spring, including a tackle for loss on running back Roderick Robinson.
All that came while practicing with the first team, an opportunity he’s been allowed this spring with Tryion Ingram-Dawkins out and Williams working in numerous positions. There’s no certainty that it’ll stick, but if you ask his teammates, they sound like they think it should.
“Gabe’s been constantly growing. He’s been growing since last year,” Williams said about Harris. “He came in with that motor and attitude about him, brought himself to work, and to see it pay off today, it was great.”
Harris is one piece of a Georgia defensive line with plenty to prove this season. The group has drawn criticism for the way it performed last season.
While things obviously can—and presumably should—be better up front, they’re not worried about what the story is. Their concentration is on finding potential for improvement.
“I have supreme confidence in our group, and I feel like we’re going to keep on working to get better and to perfect our weaknesses. I feel like we’re going to perform well this year,” Williams said. “The fight, the pressures, batting balls, causing havoc—I’ve seen a lot of good things out of our group this spring.”
Leave a Reply