Marques Harris transferred to Southern Utah University from the University of Colorado last year in an effort to improve his chances of getting to the National Football League.
Harris, who led the T-Birds with 11 sacks and 25 tackles for loss, will learn his fate in this weekend's NFL draft.
Internet reports have listed Harris as everything from a fourth-round selection to an undrafted free-agent. Other reports mention he could go as high as the third round.
If he is selected on one of the seven rounds of the two-day event that begins Saturday in New York, he'll be the first SUU player ever drafted by the NFL.
Harris was a two-year starter for Colorado before off-the-field problems and a knee injury led the 6-foot-1, 231-pound senior to transfer to SUU.
Those off-the-field problems and the knee injury he sustained in the second game of what was then his senior season at Colorado have left several teams wondering about his durability and character. He received a medical redshirt, allowing him to play at Southern Utah.
He proved both were behind him with his stellar season at SUU. He moved from a defensive line position to outside linebacker and recorded 68 tackles — third best on the team.
At the NFL Combine, Harris ran a 4.78-second 40, which was middle of the pack for linebackers, had 22 reps of 185 pounds, and recorded a 40-inch vertical jump. Lenny Walterscheid, who played for the T-Birds in the mid-'70s, is the only SUU player to ever play in the NFL. He signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears. Along with the Bears, Walterscheid also played for the Buffalo Bills.
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com