ET Harris has “loved every second” of switch from QB to wide receiver

CARBONDALE, Ill. — ET Harris will never forget the day last spring when head coach Nick Hill and quarterbacks coach Michael Lindauer brought him in for a meeting and asked him to switch from quarterback to wide receiver.

They showed him a story about former NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was moved to wide receiver for three seasons while he was at Texas A&M, before switching back and ultimately playing 12 years in the league.

Recalling that conversation from spring ball, Harris said, “I was pretty upset about it at the time, but obviously, we have DJ (Williams) here (at quarterback), and I want to be on the field. They told me I’d have a great shot to go out and earn a wide receiver spot. I've loved every second of it.”

Entering his third season at Southern, Harris has elite speed and is built like a wide receiver, with a slender 6-foot-3 frame. In fact, after two major injuries, he was starting to wonder if his body could take the punishment of playing quarterback.

During his first training camp in 2024, Harris hyper-extended his non-throwing elbow and went through a grueling, 10-month recovery process.

Harris suffered a hyper-extended elbow during his freshman season in 2024.

“I shattered almost every single bone of my left elbow,” he explained. “The doctor told me that if it was my right elbow, then quarterback would never be an option again.”

Two months after the initial surgery, Harris said the injured elbow "locked up," and he had to have a second, emergency surgery to restore movement.

“That was probably the hardest moment of my life,” he recalled. “Not only was my whole freshman year gone, but I didn't even know if my elbow was gonna come back.”

He still doesn’t have full range-of-motion in the left elbow, but the surgery was considered a success, and by the start of training camp in 2025, Harris was back to full strength and competing with the rest of the quarterbacks. During the second week of camp, the team held a live scrimmage, and Harris was tackled near the goal line. When he stood up, he felt a pain in his shoulder area.

“I didn't even think it was hurting that bad,” he said. “I finished the drive and realized that I couldn't pick up my shoulder.”

X-rays later showed he had fractured his collarbone.

“That was an emotional moment,” he said. “I had just crawled all the way back from my first injury.”

Fortunately, the recovery time for the collarbone was only six weeks, and he returned in Week 6 to make his college debut at North Dakota State. In the first half, he took a handoff on an end-around and rushed for six yards. The game was a big deal not just for Harris, but also for his close-knit family. His parents, Ainsley and Antoine, and his brother, Eli, who recently committed to play baseball at Miami (Ohio), made the trip to North Dakota.

“My family drove 16 hours from Louisville and watched me play one snap,” he smiled. “My mom and dad were crying up in the stands.”

Harris hopes to make his receiver debut at West Florida on Aug. 27.

Harris said his parents plan to drive to West Florida next week for the chance to watch his wide receiver debut.

“Hopefully, something can happen to where they get to see something, but they just want to be there whether I get in or not,” Harris said.

Watching Harris in practice, you’d never know he’s brand-new to the position.

“Ever since Day 1 of the summer, he’s improved at the fundamentals of playing receiver,” said wide receivers coach Zach Grant. “His speed is his greatest threat and it’s just a matter of teaching him how to use it.”

Harris easily tracks the ball and catches it smoothly with his hands rather than his body. It helps that he was an all-city center fielder in baseball in high school.

“I loved tracking the ball in the outfield,” he said. “It always came naturally.”

Having played quarterback, Harris said he already knew the receiver routes. The toughest part of playing his new position is learning the fundamentals, such as releasing from the line of scrimmage, footwork and route depth.

“As a quarterback, I knew where the receivers were going to be, but I didn't know how to do it myself to get there,” he said. “All of that is coming along, but that was probably the toughest part.”

Harris weighed 145 pounds when he arrived at SIU and has added nearly 30 pounds.

Off the field, Harris has put extraordinary effort into gaining weight and increasing strength, and has seen improvements in all of his measurables.

“I’ve always been very light and didn't hit 100 pounds until my freshman year of high school,” he said. “Nobody really knows this, but I came in my freshman year here at 145 pounds. The most stressful part of my life right now is trying to gain weight. I eat as much as I can every day.”

Harris is up to 172 pounds and would eventually like to reach 180.

Reflecting on the position switch, he called the move to wide receiver a “great decision,” and said he’s “having the most fun I've ever had playing football.”

“I think it'll be special to catch a pass from DJ,” Harris concluded. “He's one of my best friends.”

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More about the Saluki Wide Receivers

One of Southern’s biggest off-season acquisitions was Allen Middleton (5-11, 190, Sr.), a player who had already booked two productive years at SIU before playing the 2025 season at Bowling Green.

Middleton was a key off-season signing for SIU.

“Alan's had a great camp and is a leader in the room,” said wide receivers coach Zach Grant. “He’s a strong kid who can break tackles and make people miss on the perimeter. He's a really smart football player and a guy who can play outside and inside.”

After adding 30 pounds during the offseason without losing any speed or quickness, Kyle Thomas (6-3, 200, Sr.) has made impressive plays throughout training camp.

“Kyle’s been the most consistent guy all camp,” Grant said. “Whether that’s blocking on the perimeter, working his releases at the line of scrimmage, making contested catches, he's done a great job.”

Another key addition to the room is Chattanooga transfer Markell Quick (5-10, 160, Sr.), who caught 37 passes for 686 yards and four touchdowns for the Mocs in 2025.

“I feel like I'm saying the same thing about a lot of these guys, but Markell’s been very consistent and has the ability to play both inside and out,” Grant said. “He's twitchy and has some suddenness about him, in and out of his routes, where he can separate.”

A standout quarterback at Mount Carmel High School, Blayne Sisson (6-2, 190, Jr.) is a gifted athlete who has successfully made the switch to receiver.

“He’s grown a ton,” Grant said. “He’s starting to develop into a guy that can be reliable for us. Blayne really just put his head down and worked to get better, plus he adds value on special teams.”

Traivon Dyson (6-3, 175, Sr.) spent the last two years at UNLV, but the majority of his production came at Division II Mary (2022-23), where he caught 57 passes with 10 touchdowns.

“Trai has great ball skills and can make contested catches,” Grant said. “He’s a reliable guy and a vocal leader in the room.

Entering his fourth year in the program, Kam White (6-1, 195, Sr.) could be on the verge of being a contributor after dealing with injury setbacks.

“We moved him into a different role, playing slot,” Grant explained. “He’d always been an outside guy and I think moving came inside has been the best thing for him.”

The Salukis received welcome news last week that Tae Marrero Jr. (5-10, 187, 5th) had gained an extra year of eligibility. In addition to his dynamic return skills, he caught 15 passes last year and is a familiar target for quarterback DJ Williams.

“Bringing Tay back is huge,” Grant said. “Tae has a lot more to offer than just the return game. He plays the slot, knows our scheme and is another good athlete and football player to add to the room.”

There is a talented group of younger players, such as Aiden Showers (6-3, 185, Jr.), Jah Carter (5-10, 170, So.), Chris Potter (5-11, 175, So.), Tristen Payne (6-1, 170, So.), Dario Milivojevic (5-11, 180, Fr.) and Josh Bolden (5-8, 175, Fr.) who will continue to develop.

“That group of younger guys have gotten a lot of reps throughout camp and they're progressing,” Grant said. “We have a group of 14 guys that work well together and want to be good, so I'm excited to see their progress.”