Can Jacory Harris of Miami Become an Elite Fantasy Quarterback?

Jacory Harris was a Heisman candidate during the 2009 season, and going into 2010 he has become a front runner for the hardware.

Miami returns many pieces for the 2010 season, and there are ACC title hopes in Coral Gables.

But the Canes have not been able to live up to their lofty expectations during the last several seasons.

Will the play of Jacory Harris elevate the Canes’ season, and will we see Harris raising the Heisman trophy by the end of the season?

Cast of Characters

Jacory Harris (QB) (Jr)
Graig Cooper (RB) (Sr)
Damien Berry (RB) (Sr)
Mike James (RB) (So)
Lamar Miller (RB) (R-Fr)
Leonard Hankerson (WR) (Sr)
Travis Benjamin (WR) (Jr)
LaRon Byrd (WR) (Jr)
Aldarius Johnson (WR) (Jr)
Thearon Collier (WR) (Jr)

What’s the Scoop?

Jacory Harris started the 2009 season on fire by accumulating 656 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first two games. But Harris struggled with interceptions in key games and found himself out of the Heisman discussion. He is another year older, though, and Miami returns six starters on offense and eight on defense for 2010. 

Harris will be the centerpiece of the offense after throwing for 3,352 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2009. Those numbers are prompting many in the press to name Harris as one of the key front runners for the Heisman this season.

If Jacory wants the hardware, he must find a way to become a more consistent passer, as well as find a way to lead his team to victory when on the “big stage.”

Who’s Gone?

Although there are many key pieces that are coming back for the Canes in 2010, there are some key losses as well.

Running back Javarris James provided a good change of pace back last season. There is more than enough depth returning to make up for James' departure though.

However, the Canes lose their top three tight ends in Dedrick Epps, Jimmy Graham, and Tervaris Johnson, who combined for 554 yards and 10 touchdowns. Losing experienced receiving threats in the middle will make it harder to keep opposing safeties in the middle of the field and away from helping cornerbacks with the wide receivers.

The most important losses for the Canes are in the trenches. Left tackle Jason Fox, right tackle Matt Pipho, and center A.J. Trump all graduated, and they leave key holes to fill. If the pass protection suffers due to the losses on the line, Harris will be throwing under pressure, and his problems with interceptions should remain.

Who’s Back?

There is plenty of talent in the Miami backfield for 2010. Graig Cooper was the leading rusher in 2009, but he suffered a devastating knee injury in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl. This spring gives Damien Berry, Mike James, and Lamar Miller a chance to earn a larger role in the offense.

All four backs should be utilized in the fall, and the ability of the offense to throw fresh legs at opponents should help keep defenses honest.

There are plenty of receiving options for Harris to throw the ball to. Miami returns its top five pass catchers. Leonard Hankerson was the leading receiver with 801 yards and six touchdowns. Aldarius Johnson should see an expanded role in 2010, and he will be accompanied by Travis Benjamin, LaRon Byrd, and Thearon Collier.

Heisman Hopes

Not every Heisman front runner can live up to the preseason hype. There are several key factors that a Heisman Trophy winner needs to improve his chances.

The first thing is to be the quarterback for a national championship contender. If Miami can take care of business in the ACC, they will be getting the type of votes from the press to register high in the BCS rankings.

The toughest matchups in 2010 will be at Ohio State on Sept. 11, at Pittsburgh on Sept. 23, against Florida State on Oct. 9, against North Carolina on Oct. 23, and against Virginia Tech on Nov. 20.

These games will provide Harris the type of national exposure he needs to showcase possible “Heisman Moments.” But he will need to eliminate the inconsistent play that plagued him in 2009 against Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

All the key ACC games are at home, but the two early road games will be very tough. If Harris can take care of business in those two non-conference games, Harris should be leading the Heisman race as ACC play begins.

The fact that Harris has playmakers to distribute the ball to strengthens his Heisman chances. He will not be leaned on to do everything for the offense, and that will allow Harris to be more efficient when the ball is in his hands.

The depth of talent at RB will also add to Harris’ chances. The ground game will most likely see a slight bump in the playcalling, and that will make the play-action passing game much harder to defend.

If Your Fantasy Draft Was Today (Mar. 8, 2010)

Will Harris become that elite fantasy quarterback that many people expect? The answer is no.

Heisman-caliber quarterbacks don’t always translate into fantasy studs. Harris should be able to improve his decision-making in the passing game, but the losses on the offensive line will impact his ability to have time when throwing the ball.

The depth at running back should also create a slightly lower number of passing attempts. But the improved decision-making should increase his completion percentage and his yards per attempt.

Here’s a preliminary look at what we could see from Jacory Harris in 2010:

Pass Comp	Pass Att	Pass Yds	Pass TDs	INT	Comp %	Yds / Att
221	360	3,096	25	14	61.5%	9.6

Based on this preliminary statistical projection, Harris will average 15.52 points per game. Since he will not be able to score large amounts of fantasy points on a weekly basis, it’s easy to see that he will not be an elite level fantasy quarterback.

However, Harris does have fantasy value as a spot starter. There are six or seven games where Harris will be a quality start. If you have two quarterbacks in your starting lineup, Harris will be a great No. 2 quarterback. If you only start one quarterback, you will have to choose your weeks to play him.

Here’s a list of the top fantasy matchups:

at Pittsburgh (Sept. 23)

vs. Florida State (Oct. 9)

at Duke (Oct. 16)

at Virginia (Oct. 30)

vs. Maryland (Nov. 6)

at Georgia Tech (Nov. 13)

vs. South Florida (Nov. 27)

Drafting Jacory Harris somewhere in the middle rounds is the best place to go for him. If you are in a BCS-only league, he would be worthy of drafting somewhere in the top four or five rounds.

You can expect to see his average draft position (ADP) high, but don’t reach in order to secure him. Let a more productive fantasy quarterback fall to you instead. If you have the opportunity to land him in the middle rounds, don’t hesitate to add him to your fantasy team.

Joe Arpasi is the co-owner of CollegeFootballGeek.com, your premier resource for college fantasy football information. Check us out.