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Harrison still earning respect with Razorback wide receivers, despite MLB time

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Andy Hodges | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 3:05 PM ET

When Monte Harrison runs on Arkansas' practice field six days before his 30th birthday, he's blending in well with teammates almost a decade younger.

That's not as easy as some would assume for the sophomore wide receiver with a path to college football that is unconventional. He's already had a 10-year career in Major League Baseball.

Harrison, a Kansas City-area native, was a four-star football recruit out of Lee’s Summit West High School in Missouri. He had committed to play both football and baseball at Nebraska, but the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft and offered a $1.8 million signing bonus.

“When Major League came in, they offered a number that I couldn’t really pass up,” Harrison said Monday. “That was my number, so I took it.”

Harrison played parts of three seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels. He appeared in 50 games and was part of the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers. After the 2023 baseball season, Harrison stepped away from the sport.

“I got to a time period where I felt like football, it was time for me to go back,” he said. “It’s not your traditional route but at the end of the day it’s still football.”

Harrison walked on at Arkansas in June 2024. He credited coach Sam Pittman for allowing him time to “transition my body back to a football body.” The last time he played organized football was in high school, making the adjustment a challenge.

“It definitely took some rust,” Harrison said. “I didn’t put the pads on until fall camp around this time last year, and that was my first time in 10 years. So, I think rust is kind of an understatement. I needed more than WD-40 to be able to get through it.”

Harrison played primarily on special teams last season and caught two passes for 29 yards. He said it took until the fifth or sixth game before he started to feel comfortable.

Now, he is one of a few returning wide receivers who caught a pass for the Razorbacks in 2023. He has taken on a leadership role in a receiver room filled with departures and newcomers.

“If a guy’s going to be able to follow you, he’s got to be able to trust that you’re doing it,” Harrison said. “A lot of words don’t mean nothing. Actions speak 1,000 words.”

Wide receivers coach Ronnie Fouch said Harrison acts as a leader and a bridge between coaches and players.

“He’s a special person,” Fouch said. “He’s almost similar to, I can lean on him as like an assistant coach. I want a message to the whole room being delivered, I can work through him sometimes. He’s been a pro, he knows what it takes to win at a high level.”

Harrison is listed as the No. 2 ‘X receiver’ on Arkansas’s projected depth chart entering the 2024 season. His teammates call him “Unc” as a nod to his age and experience.

“You got to realize that I just don’t hop on the field and just earn respect, you know?” Harrison said. “I mean, I got to go out there and still play football.”

Pittman has said Harrison’s experience and work ethic are assets for a team with a young and changing roster.

“He came in with a lot of hunger and drive, and that’s contagious for our younger guys,” Pittman said.

The presence of a 30-year-old sophomore is rare in college football. NCAA rules allow Harrison to play because he did not play college football before turning professional in another sport.

Harrison’s focus remains on football. His maturity probably helps him tune out the noise.

“I just want to play football, compete, and help this team win,” he said. “I’m not here for a sideshow. I’m here to be a Razorback.”

Arkansas opens the 2024 season with a wide receiver group that is younger and less experienced than most in the SEC.

That's even counting Harrison turning 30 this coming Sunday.