What NFL teams are telling Kevin Harris, ZaQuandre White this week at combine
Kevin Harris cracked a smile as ZaQuandre White slipped behind his chair, dipped into the main section of the ballroom on the south side of the Indianapolis Convention Center and yelled back toward him.
“Let’s go, Gamecocks!” White shouted.
“Go Cocks!” Harris cried back, cracking a smile as White wandered off toward the heart of the room.
Both Harris and White were quieter during their media sessions at South Carolina. They’re generally reserved personalities who occasionally flashed their more outgoing sides in public.
Seated just one podium apart during their interview obligations at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, the pair of formerly garnet and black-clad tailbacks flashed the effervescent sides of their personas while reflecting on their final seasons in Columbia.
“Z be turned up,” Harris said through a laugh.
The 2021 South Carolina offense ebbed and flowed dramatically. It reached its peak, though, when Harris and White found holes and toppled over defenders.
South Carolina averaged 185.4 yards rushing per game in its seven wins this fall. The Gamecocks were also 3-0 when one or both of Harris or White ran for over 100 yards themselves.
“The whole offense just got tired of hearing that we weren’t a good offense, that we didn’t have a consistent quarterback, (or) that we didn’t have an O-line,” White said of how South Carolina found its stride down the stretch in 2021. “We got sick of it, so we just put our foot down and (went out) and showed everyone what we could do.”
Thursday’s festivities were as much about White and Harris pitching themselves to NFL teams as it was reflecting on the season that wrapped more than two months earlier.
Harris’ struggles in 2021 are well-documented. The Georgia native underwent surgery in July to remove a sack of fluid off a nerve around his spine. He missed all of fall camp as a result. The first contact he saw in any capacity came on his first carry of the East Carolina game Sept. 11.
That injury history has come under the microscope this week. Harris quipped he’s been asked about his back by just about every one of the roughly 25 teams he’s talked to since arriving in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
He assures he’s feeling 100% these days. His end-of-season form backs up his words.
The former three-star recruit looked like the Kevin Harris of old — the one who led the Southeastern Conference in rushing during the 2020 regular season — in South Carolina’s postseason romp of North Carolina.
There was a purpose and dynamism to Harris’ running against the Tar Heels that lagged as he returned to full strength. He ran with the speed that helped him to five 100-yard outings his second season on campus, while bowling through defenders with his bulky 5-foot-10, 220-pound frame.
Harris finished the 38-21 Gamecocks win with 182 yards on 31 touches, good for his best outing of the year by almost 60 yards.
“I feel like my 2020 self again,” Harris told The State. “I’m feeling back.”
Whereas Harris is a more physical runner whose speed is perhaps undervalued, White profiles more like a pass-catcher who can be moved around the formation.
The one-time Florida State signee entered the year with ample hype. Head coach Shane Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield sang his praises during spring ball.
White backed up the hype in spurts. He raced for 128 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in the season opener against Eastern Illinois. White also averaged just shy of 6.7 yards per touch on 59 carries over a five-game stretch against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Florida, Missouri and Auburn.
Beyond his rushing totals, White said he’s drawn attention in meetings with NFL teams for his ability as a receiver out of the backfield.
He caught three or more passes in four games this season, while his 198 yards receiving ranked fifth on the team. White also ranked third among all Gamecocks in receiving touchdowns despite sitting out the bowl game and recording just 18 receptions in 2021.
“One of my best three attributes is ball-catching,” White explained. “That’s just one thing (scouts) look for. I can line up at receiver, in the slot. I can do it all.”
Harris and White are expected to go through on-field workouts between 4 and 11 p.m. Friday at Lucas Oil Field.
Harris and White have been projected in varying spots heading toward the meat of NFL Draft season. Pro Football Focus and CBS Sports slot White as the No. 11 running back in the class. Harris, by contrast, is rated the No. 15 tailback by the NFL Draft Bible, but doesn’t appear in CBS Sports’ top 15 tailbacks.
Asked whether he and White had any kind of bet on who gets drafted first, Harris smirked at the thought, but added there was no side action between the two.
White confirmed there aren’t any stakes between the former teammates. Both remain supportive of one another.
“There’s no side bet,” White assured. “(We’re) just happy to be here, for real.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 3:50 PM.
