After spending a decade playing professional baseball, 28-year-old Monte Harrison has committed to play wide receiver for the University of Arkansas football team this upcoming season.
A four-star wide receiver from Lee Summit High School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, he had 60 receptions, 1,007 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his senior year.
Harrison was recruited by Arkansas but never received a scholarship offer. He committed to play football at the University of Nebraska in 2013.
However, Harrison also played baseball in high school and was considered a top MLB prospect. So, after the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft, he opted to sign with them and began his baseball career.
After four seasons in the Brewers organization, Harrison was dealt to the Miami Marlins as part of a package that landed the Brewers All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich.
According to MLB.com’s rankings, Harrison was the 71st overall prospect in baseball during the 2018 season.
He made his major league debut in 2020 but struggled through 32 games, batting .170/.235/.255 with one home run, three RBI and six stolen bases. He would only play 18 games in the majors from 2021-22.
After re-joining the Brewers organization in 2023, he played 88 games in Triple-A but could not replicate the success that made him a premier prospect.
He finished his MLB career with a .176/.253/.294 slash line, two home runs, six RBI and seven stolen bases in 50 career games.
Harrison will have a chance to put his athleticism on display this upcoming season as he tries to make his way onto the Arkansas Razorbacks roster as a walk-on.
If he qualifies, Harrison will be one of the oldest players in Division 1 football, with 31-year-old East Carolina punter Luke Larsen and 31-year-old University of Illinois punter Hugh Robertson leading the way.
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