December 1, 2016

Missouri defensive lineman Charles Harris will enter the 2017 NFL draft, he announced at a press conference Thursday. The redshirt junior will forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility.

“I want to give a special thanks to all my past teammates and my current teammates for making me not only a better football player, but a better teammate, brother and a better man in general,” Harris said in his press conference.

Harris is tied for third in the Southeastern Conference, with nine sacks. He led all SEC linemen, with 61 tackles.

After the Tigers’ win over Arkansas on Nov. 25, Harris said he was still undecided on his future. Coach Barry Odom offered him the chance to join the team’s senior day festivities, but Harris declined.

“It’s not my senior year,” Harris said after the game. “It’s not my last year. I’m considering coming back next year, and that’s why I didn’t really want to do it.”

He made his final decision not to return next year after talking to his family following the Arkansas game.

“Throughout the season, I stayed focused on my team,” Harris said in his press conference. “Didn’t worry about the NFL at all.”

Harris was not a highly touted player coming out of high school. The Kansas City native was a two-star recruit, and Missouri was his only Division I offer, according to Rivals. He did not begin playing football until his junior year of high school.

In 2015, he broke out as an elite pass rusher, earning second team All-SEC honors after leading the conference with 18.5 tackles for loss.

“Charles and I have had a few conversations about his future,” Odom said in a Mizzou Athletics press release. “I am extremely proud of his approach on a very big decision. Certainly, I wish we could have another year with Charles leading our program, but there’s no question in my mind that he’s ready for the next level.”

Harris is projected as a first-round draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He follows in the footsteps of his former teammates Shane Ray, Marcus Golden and Kony Ealy, all of whom were drafted as linemen.

“God has perfect timing,” Harris said. “I came at the perfect time where D-Line Zou was really erupting.”

Harris will graduate next semester, making him the first member of his immediate family to graduate from college.

Looking ahead, Harris is excited for the draft.

“I ain’t scared at all,” he said at the press conference. “I’m ready to get there.”

_Edited by Nancy Coleman | ncoleman@themaneater.com_

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