Auburn Standout Marcus Harris Declares: After a stellar first-team All-SEC season, marking him as one of the nation’s top interior defensive linemen, Marcus Harris declared his entry into the NFL Draft via a social media post on Tuesday night.
Hailing from Kansas, Harris made a pivotal move to Auburn after the 2020 season. Over three years as a starter at Auburn, he showcased steady improvement, culminating in a breakout 2023 season. Harris stood out by leading Auburn with an impressive seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Among Auburn defensive linemen, his 40 tackles outshone his peers by a significant margin.
Despite having the option to return for the 2024 college season, Harris opted to transition to the professional realm after such a prolific year. Notably, his announcement did not clarify whether he would participate in Auburn’s upcoming appearance at the Music City Bowl against Maryland on Dec. 30.
A key leader on the Auburn defense, Harris played a pivotal role under a new coaching staff. His significant contribution played a crucial role in Auburn’s defensive transformation, particularly in addressing concerns about their run defense for the season.
Pro Football Focus bestowed Harris with a notable ranking as one of the top 20 defensive linemen in the nation for the season.
The departure of Harris does leave Auburn with a thin defensive line for the upcoming season. The responsibility is likely to shift significantly to Justin Rogers, and reserves like Quientrail Jamison-Travis will need to step up. Freshmen such as Harris’ younger brother, Malik Blocton, may have an early opportunity to make an impact. Additionally, Auburn has actively pursued interior defensive linemen in the transfer portal to bolster their lineup.
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