What Brock Harris found at BYU that no other school had
It's not every day that a 14-year-old boy gets a glimpse into his future, but that's what happened to Brock Harris. The high school freshman was finishing up a seven-on-seven drill at Pine View High in St. George when his coach, Jamar Howard, called him over to the side.
'Miami is going to offer you (a scholarship) next week!' the coach said.
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Harris responded with a big 'Whoa' — and that's the moment when the little-known receiver knew he was about to become a very big deal, at tight end.
Over the next two seasons, as Harris matured into his current 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame, just about every school came calling — and offering. Among his six finalists included former national champions Michigan (2023), Georgia (2022), Miami (2001), BYU (1984), Oregon and Utah.
Throughout the exhaustive, jet-setting process, Harris fought hard to stay grounded.
'You can't just focus on all the offers and attention. It won't stay if you aren't performing on the field,' Harris told the 'Y's Guys' podcast this week. 'You have to work hard and keep getting better. There are always new guys popping up who are great players.'
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In three seasons at Pine View, Harris caught 118 passes for 1,678 yards and 21 touchdowns. The success sent his stock skyrocketing. ESPN ranked him the 33rd-best player in the 2026 class and No. 1 in Utah.
'I'm not just good at one side of things, I can do both — blocking and catching the ball,' said Harris when explaining his technique at tight end. 'Some guys can be a receiving tight end like (Travis) Kelce (Chiefs), but I want to be like (George) Kittle (49ers) who can do it all.'
In between games and practices, Harris made the rounds and listened to the pitches and promises that were tossed at him like footballs from a JUGS machine. No head coach balked at his mission plans, and everybody was eager to accommodate.
Something different
Amid the noise that comes with all the recruiting hype, Harris noticed something different about BYU.
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'The spirit is at BYU man, for sure,' he said. 'That's the biggest thing. Every time I was there it was like, 'Wow! There is something special here.' I've talked to other big recruits that are thinking about BYU, and they say the same thing and they are also members (of the church) — it's the spirit. I felt the spirit so much.'
With his mind made up, Harris and his parents, Todd and Andrea, asked to meet with Kalani Sitake. They drove from St. George to Provo and walked into his office.
'We didn't tell them we were going to commit,' Harris said. 'We were just coming up.'
In the room with Sitake was Aaron Roderick (offensive coordinator), Fesi Sitake (receivers coach) and Kevin Gilbride (tight ends coach). Nearing the end of the discussion, which ranged from everything but the real reason they were there, Todd Harris prodded his son.
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'Do you have anything to tell them?' he asked.
'No,' said Brock, not realizing this was his cue.
'Yes, you do,' said his dad.
'Oh yeah,' said Brock as he regrouped. 'I'm committed!'
Sitake responded with a fist pump and a loud 'Let's Go!'
The following Monday, April 7, on 247Sports Ultimate College Football Show, Harris, surrounded by his family, announced he would be attending BYU. The moment he declared, Harris became the highest-rated commit for the Cougars since 2006.
'I think it was the comfortability I had there. I know I will be happy there,' he said. 'I've been going to their camps forever. I know everybody, and they are great people. I'm a member of the church — there were just a ton of factors.'
What's next?
Harris will take his official visit to BYU this summer and will play his final season at Pine View in the fall. He plans to graduate in December and leave on a church mission in January, which will allow him to report at BYU in early 2028.
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'I prayed about (serving a mission) and put a ton of thought into it,' Harris said. 'I picked the brains of athletes who have done missions. There are definitely some worries about it (like) coming back and being rusty (but) it's something I want to do, and I need to do. I think it will help me a lot for the future.'
When he does suit up for the Cougars, Harris expects to get the ball — a lot.
'A-Rod tells me they are going to throw the ball to me a ton, and they better,' he said with a smile. 'I definitely want to catch the ball. I love blocking too, but running routes is what I love the most. He has a great plan. He has a unique mind and has a lot of ways to get the ball to the tight end.'
Recruiting Ryder Lyons
Harris and signee McKay Madsen make up two of what they hope will become a trio of top-rated Latter-day Saint recruits coming to BYU. Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons has yet to announce his intentions, and both Harris and Madsen are working hard to win him over.
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'That's the goal. He's one of those guys that if he gets on board, everybody else will,' Harris said. 'Skill position-wise, who doesn't want a quarterback that can get you the ball? He definitely loves it here at BYU, but the ball is in his court. He can do what he wants, but I think we have a big shot (at) getting him here.'
Madsen, a four-star signee from Clovis, California, is optimistic too.
'He knows we want him. He knows the love is genuine at BYU,' Madsen told the 'Y's Guys' podcast. 'I can totally see him picking BYU and us working as a triple threat with him handing me the ball, or not, me going to block and he puts it over the top to Brock and we all run down and celebrate together. That would be great.'
Time will tell with Lyons, but as for Harris and Madsen, they are already part of a rising tide in Sitake's recruiting.
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'I think my commitment and McKay's commitment definitely shifted the momentum for sure,' Harris said. 'Committing has been the best part. I'm locked in with who I want to be with. It's like having a weight lifted off my shoulders.'
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at ysguys.com and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at deseretbook.com.
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