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Name: Jalen Harvey
Position: Defensive Tackle
Year: Freshman
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 316
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
High School: Clay-Chalkville
2013 Stats: Well, none with the Orange. Being a freshman kinda does that. In his last year of high school, however, he had 61 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
2014 Projections: He wasn't on the Spring depth chart, but Syracuse isn't all that deep at the defensive tackle position. Don't be surprised if Harvey begins competing for minutes on the field, especially if injuries come into play.
How'd He Get Here: It was a long, winding road. He originally committed to South Alabama, then switched to Western Kentucky. However, after late interest from Syracuse brought him to the Carrier Dome for the basketball game against Duke, he signed with the Orange immediately.
What'd Recruiting Sites Say: Rivals and Scout gave him two stars.
Money Quote: Boom.
I work hard and I keep that chip on my shoulder. A lot of schools overlooked me, and in my opinion I'm better than some of those five stars. I'm trying to be better than every five star in my class.
Links Of Wonder: Take a look at this piece on Harvey that explains just how difficult the recruiting process can be sometimes. Remember, these are 17-year-olds.
Twitterfeed: @Jalen_Harvey96
Tweets Of Wonder: I actually had a different tweet here first, but he wins everything with this one.
I need to hit 3K fast #RETWEEET pic.twitter.com/eC3Y87lmp6
— Jalen Harvey (@Jalen_Harvey96) July 12, 2014
What Does Shafer Think Of Him: Not sure, but defensive line coach Tim Daoust seems excited. He was the one who talked to Harvey about the potential to earn playing time as a true freshman.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Say what you want about all the flip-flopping commitments -- he took a very mature and practical approach when making his decision:
I want to get into Sports Management in college. The type of degree you get from Syracuse is tops in the nation. You are pretty much set with that degree going forward and you can get more of the jobs of your choice. You can get more with a Syracuse degree than a Western Kentucky degree. This wasn't a football decision, but a decision based on real life and an education after football is over with.
Let's Get A Good Look Atcha:
(Via hudl.com)