Pennsylvania defensive tackle Curtis Harper officially signed with Syracuse on Wednesday. Harper committed to Syracuse in early August when he was widely considered a two-star recruit, and stuck with the Orange over the past year as his reputation grew and he received offers from Louisville, Minnesota and others.
Twitterfeed: @Neverdone_52
Hometown: Mckeesport, Pa.
High School: Mckeesport High School
Position: DT
Stats: 6’2”, 291 pounds
Commitment Date: August 1, 2016
Ratings: Three stars by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout; two stars by Rivals
Other Offers: Harper received offers from Louisville, Maryland, Wake Forest, Minnesota and Iowa State, among others.
Dino’s Projected Nickname: “Never done HARPing on opposing offenses”
Highlights:
Player Breakdown:
Harper is one of just two defensive tackles in Syracuse’s 2017 recruiting class, joining Chicago defensive tackle Chris Elmore. Both could conceivably become key contributors as true freshmen as Syracuse returns just four defensive tackles, including two – in junior Steven Clark and redshirt junior Kayton Samuels – who suffered significant injuries.
Harper is rated the No. 101 defensive tackle in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports. As a senior, he recorded 36 tackles, including nine for loss, and two sacks, per MaxPreps. Harper claims he can run a 5.46 40-yard dash and bench 350 pounds, according to his HUDL page.