Scooter Harrington committing to Stanford means Stanford flipped two recruits this weekend. Harrington was originally committed to Boston College, and he had been committed since February of last year. Harrington is a tight-end which makes him the third tight-end in this class. Stanford is losing two tight-ends (Hooper to the NFL and Cotton to play on the defensive line), so this is a great addition. As the title mentions, Harrington was an Under Armour All-American and is rated as the number one recruit in the state of Connecticut by ESPN.
Harrington measures 6-5 and weighs around 238lbs, so he is already coming in at a respectable weight. This allows him to focus on the playbook a little bit more than someone who has to constantly worry about putting on more muscle. Harrington is listed as a TE-Y, which means he plays the position more traditionally. He isn't a morph between a big wide receiver and a small tight-end. In other words, he is exactly the type of player you think of when someone mentions a Stanford tight-end.
The first attribute that pops out at me is Harrington's toughness. In high school Harrington played both sides of the ball, tight-end, obviously, and also defensive end. On both sides of the ball one could see his toughness and brute force. His hard blocks, sacks, and yards after catch just ooze toughness. He fights for extra yards until he stalemates with three defenders, and also destroys quarterbacks and defensive back on either a sack or blocking down field. Harrington seems to be more of a blocking tight-end, but his versatility makes might beg to differ.
As mentioned above, versatility is another big part of Harrington's game. Also mentioned above, he played defensive end for his high school team. But offensively is where he is the most versatile. In just a few highlight reels, Harrington lined up on the outside (for a screen pass), in the slot, in a bunch formation, and on the line of scrimmage in-line with the offensive guard. Harrington can literally play anywhere on the line of scrimmage because he is so versatile. His athleticism also allows him to play all over the offensive side of the ball. It doesn't matter where Stanford positions Harrington, he will thrive in any circumstance.
Check out Scooter Harrington's highlights courtesy of Hudl:
