The revolving door that is Juan Harris’ Indiana football career has taken another turn this week, but this one will likely be the last.
Head coach Tom Allen announced after IU’s 35-0 win over Rutgers that Harris was no longer with the program.
“Unique situation. He (Harris) has chosen to no longer play football,” Allen said in the post game press conference.
“He informed us of that and it wasn’t what I expected, but wish him nothing but the best. I’m really proud of the other guys that stepped up. That is a decision that he came to on his own, and so we wish him well.”
A four star recruit out of high school, Harris decommitted from Iowa three times and Indiana once before finally sticking with the Hoosiers.
Harris first joined the Indiana program as a member of the 2017 recruiting class. He appeared in three games that year before suffering a season ending injury.
The Chicago product received a medical redshirt and remained with the IU program through 2018 spring practice before transferring to Independence Community College for the 2018 campaign.
Allen brought Harris back to Bloomington as a member of the 2019 class and the 6-foot-3 and 350 pound tackle enrolled in January.
The Indiana head coach said this about Harris in December regarding the decision to bring him back into the program:
“We went through a long process in regards to evaluating his situation and looked at things as they happened when he was here, and know his history and know his upbringing and the things he’s been through….Sometimes to go to an environment that he went to when he left here is a wake up call….I think it’s called growing up…..It’s about challenging young men to grow and to develop and become who I believe they were created to be….So that’s on him to come back here and prove that I was right to give him a second chance.”
Harris played in the first four games this season, starting in week one vs. Ball State. He fell behind fellow junior college transfer Demarcus Elliott on the depth chart beginning in week two.
Harris recorded three tackles on the season. He did not appear in the Michigan State game.
True freshman Sio Nofoagatoto’a has seen extensive action over the past two contests in Harris’ absence.
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