We know now why Zxavian Harris is choosing to return to college at LSU and not Ole Miss.
Testifying in a Baton Rouge courtroom Thursday, Harris said that he thought he’d return to Ole Miss. A Mississippi native who played four years in Oxford, that would make a lot of sense. Put Harris on this defensive line with Will Echoles, Jaheim Oatis and Michai Boireau and you have one of the best in the nation.
However, based on what Harris said, Ole Miss wanted him on the other side of the ball.
“Ole Miss wanted me to come back to play offensive line,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about LSU until they said something about playing offensive line. That really turned the whole boat around. Knowing I had to get my body back in shape, I knew where to go for it. That’s the only reason.”
Harris was one of the athletes granted a preliminary injunction against the SEC and the NCAA on Thursday that clears the way for him and former Cleveland Browns and Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright to sign with the Tigers.
Whether they’re placed on the roster or not (because the SEC has its own lawsuit filed against LSU that would stop that), there’s something Ole Miss fans can learn from Harris’ comments.
There is some degree of concern with the Rebels’ offensive line.
We’ve already asked the obvious question about if LSU and Lane Kiffin not believing the current is championship material is why they’re pursuing this controversial path. But a similar question could be asked of Ole Miss.
If the Rebels wanted Harris back on the offensive line, what does it say about the team’s belief in the current group of offensive linemen?
Maybe the answer is strictly about depth. Ole Miss may feel confident in its five starters, but if one or more are injured, there might not be much confidence in the backups.
That would be in the realm of possibility. Reports from preseason camp indicated starting right guard Patrick Kutas has been limited and reserves Troy Everett, Enoch Wangoy and John Wayne Oliver have also dealt with injuries.
With all of that, adding a player like Harris along the offensive line for depth reasons seems reasonable.
But maybe the answer is about who starts at right tackle.
The consensus is that Tommy Kinsler has won the starting job at right tackle ahead of LSU transfer Carius Curne. But neither have received a ringing endorsement publicly. Is that because Ole Miss is worried neither is capable of playing at an elite level? Did it think maybe Harris could?
We may never know the answer, although with Pete Golding’s style he might answer if asked. But the people who do know won’t be saying before Sunday’s season-opening game against No. 24 Louisville.
Maybe then we’ll see for ourselves what the answer is.
