Frederick Douglass defensive lineman Jamarrion Harkless has offers from Kentucky, Georgia, LSU and others

Photo by Jamarrion Harkless Twitter

Junior defensive lineman Jamarrion Harkless had a “good year” for Class 5A state runner-up Frederick Douglass when he made 28 tackles, including nine tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks, despite missing three games due to injuries.

The 6-4, 300-pound Harkless runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds and was able to showcase his speed and agility in the Best of the Midwest Combine in Indianapolis recently to jump start his recruitment.

“He also had played very well in the playoffs,” said Frederick Douglass coach Nathan McPeek. “After the combine, I started taking more videos of him in workouts.”

Harkless got his first Power-Five offer from West Virginia where former Danville High School standout ShaDon Brown is now an assistant coach for Neal Brown, a former Boyle County High School standout and offensive coordinator at Kentucky.

“They really like him,” McPeek said.

So did a defensive line coach at national champion Georgia after he saw the workout video McPeek posted on Twitter. The Georgia assistant and McPeek also had a common contact to increase the interest that led to a Georgia scholarship offer for Harkless, who also has a 3.3 grade-point average.

Harkless also has scholarship offers from Kentucky, Auburn, Illinois, Michigan and LSU along with one he got from Louisville over the weekend. He is ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports but unranked by other recruiting services despite his impressive offer list.

“He is 6-2, not 6-5, but there are not many legit 6-2, 300-pound players like him. He has good functional mobility. He moves like his 250 or 260,” McPeek said. “I have been telling people he is a Power Five talent. He’s got some improving to do but he has a lot of potential.

“I am not shocked he is getting these offers. I am happy for the kid but it all has happened so fast,” McPeek said. “Now they are all going to come in and watch us in spring practice when we get started in May.”

Harkless had set an official visit to Illinois for June 3-4-5 but that’s also about the same time Georgia wanted him on campus.

“I am going to try and sit down with him and his family after spring practice to see what they are thinking,” McPeek said.

The Frederick Douglass coach knows the Georgia offer likely put Harkless on the radar of a lot of other schools.

“They don’t come into Kentucky much to recruit,” McPeek said. “That offer is special to him and our program. Louisville has not recruited our school much the last five years and after he made his visit Saturday, they offered.”

Harkless could benefit from the success former Frederick Douglass players have had. Receivers Dane Key and Dekel Crowdus along with offensive lineman Jager Burton are now at Kentucky. Offensive lineman Walker Parks  has had success with Clemson.

“There are a lot of factors in recruiting,” McPeek said. “Some is just luck with talented kids but some is also player development. A lot of our kids have shown that they get to school and do not leave and (college) coaches appreciate that a lot.”