Don't sleep on Maurice Harris.
Most Cal fans know all about highly-touted wide receivers like Kenny Lawler and Bryce Treggs, but the Golden Bears also have the advantage of solid depth at the position and Harris is definitely in that mix as one of seven of the team's top eight receivers from 2014 who are back for this season.
Having so many mouths to feed is a good problem for Cal standout quarterback Jared Goff to have, but Harris is always somebody he's looking for on the field.
“Since the spring he's gotten a lot better all the way through this past summer,” Goff said. “Now, he's gotten off to a good start with fall camp. I'm excited to see what he can do this year. He's definitely grown into a No. 1 wide receiver on any team in the country. He works hard. He doesn't talk a lot, but he's still a good communicator with me. He's always trying to get better and he's always working hard. He's one of my favorite targets.”
Last season, Harris accumulated career highs with 25 receptions for 252 receiving yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns. His biggest game of 2014 came against Oregon at Levi's Stadium when he hauled in career highs of nine receptions and 79 yards with a career-high-tying one touchdown.
Harris is ready to build off of that momentum from last year and go out with a bang for his senior campaign.
“We're a better overall team,” Harris said. “We have a great group of guys. Everybody is constantly trying to get better. We have a different mindset, and we all come out here to compete every day. The main thing is being consistent and making plays. We're also really trying to help the young guys get up to speed. They're doing a great job of learning every day. We're growing and doing good things out here.”
Wide receiver is often a position where you see flashy players who are all about touchdown dances and poses for the crowd. That's the opposite style you'll see from Harris.
When you see Harris practicing at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium, you'll find him working hard on his techniques and routes, and often times, making a great catch while being heavily guarded. When the play is done, Harris simply flips the ball back to the ref and gets ready for his next rep.
“I just want to do my job, and then go back in and make another play,” Harris said. “That's always been me, but it's still fun to celebrate with the guys."
Defensive backs like Darius White definitely see the rate of improvement in Harris' game.
“Maurice works really hard, he's one of our leaders on the team,” White said. “I expect a lot from him this year. He tries his best to hone in on his technique and do what he's supposed to do. He never tries to do too much, and that's what he's good at. He always finishes plays and never gives up. That's what makes him a good player. He's been working hard every day. I've seen it.”
Harris, a native of Greensboro, N.C., is the last player from a group of players from North Carolina that came to Cal in 2010 and 2011 including his cousin Keenan Allen, who broke Cal's all-time record for receptions and was the NFL's Pepsi NEXT Rookie of the Year with the San Diego Chargers in 2013. Harris' motivation to be a leader this year stems from the older players in 2011 like Marvin Jones and Michael Calvin who took him under his wing.
As much as Harris has gained confidence and the respect of his teammates over the years, he still misses his fellow North Carolina natives who made it easier for him to settle in as a freshman.
“It helped a lot having them here when I first came in," Harris said. "I was young and I didn't really know anybody else here. Having them here helped me get comfortable. I had fun with those guys, but I'm grown up now, so I'm on my own.”
Harris may be on his own in terms of not having any of those North Carolinians with him anymore, but he certainly still has all of his current teammates supporting him and has also turned into a veteran player who now helps the younger guys on the team.
"I try to help all the younger guys with whatever I can do to help them," Harris said. "I told them that they can come to me with anything they need help with, on or off the field.”
