Harris sticks with original pledge will sign with parents' alma mater

There was some confusion Tuesday afternoon, but high three-star commit Jalen Harris put all the rumors and guessing to rest with a tweet. He will be sticking with the pledge he made in the summer and signing with in-state Arizona on Wednesday when recruits can begin sending in their National Letters of Intent.

The Mesa-Desert Ridge standout defensive end and receiver took some visits after the season, but the biggest came just in the last few days when he went to South Bend to check out Notre Dame.

“The campus and how it's a big community where everyone is willing to help each other is what surprised me the most," Harris told Rivals.com after his visit to Notre Dame over the weekend. This place has a lot to offer besides football and I will have to think about that. The coaches are good people. I enjoyed being around them.”

The Irish made a big push and certainly forced some thoughts into Harris' head but ultimately being able to follow in the footsteps of his parents, who were both student-athletes at UA, proved to be too much.

Having a mom who played basketball at UA and a dad who was a part of the Desert Swarm defense in Tucson was a big part of Harris' initial decision. He attended plenty of UA games during the season and it was the first school he took an official visit to back in December. The tall defensive end, who played receiver at his high school as well and will play some linebacker at UA, always seemed more open to other possibilities than many legacy recruits the Wildcats have landed under Rodriguez.

He ended up heading out to Colorado and Illinois for visits as well along with making the rounds on unofficial trips prior to his initial decision.

Harris is still a bit thin, but he has all the makings for a high-level player at the college level and that is one reason so many schools made a push late in the process. Arizona's plan is to take full advantage of his abilities when he makes the move down the road to Tucson this summer.

"I'm a good pass rusher and I'm fast off the ball," Harris said earlier in the process about why Arizona made him a priority. "They say I've got good versatility, so they're looking to utilize that."