Brandon Harris, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound four-star cornerback from Booker T. Washington High School in Miami, Fla., has around 30 scholarship offers but says he still doesn't have a favorite.
"I have so many options that I just have to go with my gut feeling," Harris said. "I want to make sure that I fit in with the program and their defense."
Although he denies a leader, Harris now favors Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Miami. He has already taken official visits to Florida (Sept. 15) and LSU (Oct. 6).
"My visits to Florida and LSU were very similar," he said. "They are both college towns and the fans at each school are great. Plus, the coaches are both very well-mannered and well-respected. I don't know if it's an SEC-thing or what, but I'd give both visits a 10."
Harris, ranked the No. 8 cornerback in the country by Scout.com, visited LSU when the Tigers took on the Gators. "I loved getting to see all the hype and excitement for that game," he said. "It was crazy. It started getting explosive even two days before the game. Everyone was tailgating and celebrating and having fun. I love how competitive the team is and how even the fans were getting all pumped up. You could tell just walking around the campus how into the game they all were.
"LSU is having a great season and even though they lost to Kentucky they still fought hard and never gave up," Harris said. "I still think if they win out they've got a shot at the national championship."
Although the two-loss Gators are most likely an extreme long-shot to play for any national championship, Harris says they've impressed him a lot this year. "They've been playing tough week-in and week-out," he said. "They are still a young team and have shown signs that they can be a great team. I think they'll be even better next year."
The only other visit that Harris has already set up is to Ohio State on Nov. 9. "I'm looking forward to seeing how their fans are and how they compare to LSU and Florida," he said. "Plus, I want to really get to know the coaches better and spend some time with them one-on-one.
"I like how Ohio State is always highly ranked and they are always in it," he said. "They are always competing for the national championship."
Harris would have liked to have visited Miami when the 'Canes take on Virginia on Nov. 10, but he'll be in Ohio. "That's gonna be the last Miami game played at the Orange Bowl," he said. "I think it's a good move that they are going to a different stadium. They'll be able to play in a better stadium that is newer and bigger and hopefully they'll attract more fans. I like the Orange Bowl and it has a lot of history, but overall I think it'll be good for Miami."
He says he plans to take all five of his official visits. "I'm thinking about also visiting Rutgers, Florida State, Clemson, Alabama and Oklahoma," he said. "It's going to be between those for my final trip."
Harris has helped lead his team to a 5-0 record. He has 18 receptions for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, he had 15 tackles, three interceptions (two for touchdowns) and two sacks.
He reports a 3.6 core GPA, an 880 SAT and a 20 ACT.