Friday night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, junior power forward Kendre Harrison led Reidsville to a win in the Western Regional as he erupted for 26 points and 19 rebounds in a 70-59 victory over Bradys. The Rams are going to the state tournament for the third straight time after winning the title last year.
Harrison is a four-star basketball prospect and a five-star recruit in football, the nation's No. 13 overall in the 247Sports Composite. Committed to the Ducks since Nov. 30, Thursday he shut down his recruitment, spurning a push by Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl winner and new coach of the home-state North Carolina Tarheels.
Harrison is as fluid and imposing an athlete the Ducks have ever recruited at TE, a list that includes Dickson, Lyerla, Russ Francis, George Wrighster, Colt Lyerla, Terrance Ferguson and current starter Kenyon Sadiq. At 6-7, 250 he's a grown man physically.
Oregon bound Kendre Harrison leads Reidsville in their 79-50 victory over Bandys 🔥. Reidsville have won 59 straight and are set to appear in their 3rd straight championship game@SupremeDre8 pic.twitter.com/Nvz1L6V8NE
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) March 14, 2025
Harrison wants to play both sports in college, and it would be foolish to tell him he can't, about as foolish as getting between him and the rim. The football/basketball double is particularly apt for the tight end position, as the athletic grace and ability to position your body translates. So too the hand dexterity and strength it takes to pull down a rebound or haul in a pass with a linebacker draped all over you. Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez played basketball at Cal. Antonio Gates averaged 20 points a game at Kent State, leading the Golden Flashes into the Elite Eight in 2002.
Terrance Ferguson turned in a stellar performance at the NFL combine this February and he's headed for the NFL draft. Sadiq is a draft-eligible junior who's slated for a feature role in Oregon's 2025 offense, one that could propel him into the early rounds in 2026.
In the last 20 years Duck fans have seen few recruits more physically ready to launch an impact career early than Harrison, though the adjustment from 2A Carolina sports to Division I is a challenge for anyone.