Monte Harrison might not have lived up to his potential as a former second-round draft pick and top-100 prospect in Major League Baseball. The 28-year-old outfielder still managed to achieve his dream of reaching the game's highest level, suiting up for 50 games with the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels from 2020-22.
As recently as last year, it looked like Harrison was still chasing the dream. He signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, the team that originally drafted him out of high school in 2014, in January. In 88 games with the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, Harrison batted .208 with five home runs and 18 stolen bases.
Flash forward a year, and Harrison appears to be moving on from Major League Baseball — to another sport altogether.
As first reported by Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and WholeHogSports.com, Harrison is back on the gridiron and has committed to the University of Arkansas football team. According to the Fort Smith Southwest Times Record, Harrison will not receive scholarship money, and will try to make the team as a walk-on.
Harrison was a four-star receiver in high school who had committed to the University of Nebraska. The Brewers offered him a $1.8 million signing bonus, likely making Harrison's choice easier.
From 2014-17, Harrison plied his trade in the Brewers' minor league system until he was packaged to Miami in the blockbuster trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers.
Although he would eventually reach the majors with the Marlins in 2020, Harrison was mostly remembered as part of Miami's disappointing return for Yelich — a future MVP runner-up — along with Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto.
The Marlins released Harrison in March 2022. Harrison spent the 2022 season with the Angels, appearing in nine MLB games, before returning to the Brewers on a minor league contract.
Now, he'll have a chance to make an imprint in another sport — albeit against much younger competition. Harrison was reportedly planning to play baseball at Nebraska as well before signing the Brewers' offer.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was already being heralded for his incoming recruiting class, which reportedly included seven four-star commits. Exactly how they'll make room for Harrison — who understandably was not an armchair recruiting-board darling — is unclear.
Regardless, it's a unique career transition for a player who made millions playing another sport.
Harrison reportedly finished his senior year of high school football with 60 catches for 1,007 yards, 13 touchdowns, 198 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns and one touchdown pass.
The Razorbacks begin their 2024 season Aug. 29 against University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
J.P. Hoornstra writes and edits Major League Baseball content. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers ... Read more
