San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Harris appears to be closing in on QB job
UTSA quarterback Cordale Grundy drew up the play earlier that morning.
Practicing in a public setting for the first and only time this fall — in front of a smattering of fans Saturday at UTSA’s Park West Athletics Complex — the Roadrunners were not about to reveal much of their playbook. UTSA mostly ran through individual drills, playing just a few series of 11-on-11. But the offense still sparked excitement.
The deception started when quarterback Lowell Narcisse switched from his noncontact red jersey to a standard offensive white. Narcisse set up on the left side of the formation and received a lateral from quarterback Frank Harris, who took off downfield and toward the opposite sideline on a wheel route.
Narcisse leaned back on one leg and flicked a pass to Harris, who highstepped into the end zone and then threw the ball into the air in celebration.
“We didn’t want to have him in a red jersey — they would know something was up,” Harris said. “I guess they didn’t see it was him, and it kind of cost them.”
Roadrunners coach Frank Wilson stopped short of naming a starter at quarterback Saturday but continued to heap praise on Harris, a sophomore from Clemens who missed last season with a torn ACL.
During one-on-one drills, Harris on consecutive throws dropped a long touchdown pass over the outside shoulder of Blaze Moorhead, hit Kirk Johnson an on out-breaking route, and connected with Johnson again over the middle.
“He’s been on quite a tear,” Wilson said. “A couple of days ago, in a scrimmage format, he was 15 of 15, which was one of the better practices I’ve seen in a long time. And he’s continued to do so.”
At the end of Saturday’s session, Harris and many of his teammates signed autographs and posed for photos on the field.
The Roadrunners’ roster lists 11 players from San Antonio, plus Harris from Schertz and two each from Cibolo and Converse.
“It’s a great feeling, having all the fans interact with us,” Harris said. “Having them come out and support. They’re part of us as well. To put on a show for them is great.”
Wilson said San Antonio players are “standing strong” for the Roadrunners. Spencer Burford, from Wagner, is “possibly one of the best offensive linemen in Conference USA.” Freshman safety Rashad Wisdom, a Judson product, practiced with the first-team defense Saturday.
Wilson also highlighted two Brandeis products: freshman tight end Oscar Cardenas and sophomore defensive tackle Brandon Matterson, who Wilson said “continues to be dominant” up front.
With sophomore Steele product Brenden Brady mostly out of action — he wore a protective boot on his left foot for what Wilson called a minor injury — freshman Sincere McCormick from Judson was a fixture at running back.
“He’s going to play substantially for us, and we like his style of play,” Wilson said. “He continues to make big-play opportunities or cash in on big-play opportunities. You can count on him being a guy that will have an opportunity to contribute.”
When Harris first learned UTSA was recruiting McCormick, he immediately thought back to facing him in high school.
“I had to reach out to him, because I know I need him on my team,” Harris said. “He’s great. He’s developing. He’s doing everything right. He’s going through his reads. He’s making plays. Crazy plays. He’s still young. He’s still developing. He’s going to have a great season.”
Harris said he made a similar effort to recruit Brady to UTSA, and he hopes to help the Roadrunners continue their trend of landing local talent.
If he hears that an area player is a UTSA target, he doesn’t hesitate to reach out.
“You see a lot of big-time recruits from Rashad, Spencer, guys who could’ve went anywhere, but they decided to stay here, just like me and the rest of the guys,” Harris said. “We’re (fixing to) build a legacy here.”