HATTIESBURG – There wasn’t much drama at Oak Grove for the early signing period. Seniors Jarius Reimonenq and Jack Harris were long-time commits to their respective colleges, and both signed Wednesday.
Reimonenq inked with Arkansas State while Harris will stay in state and play for Mississippi State.
“It’s very special,” Reimonenq said. “I’ve been saying it all week, I’m getting married. It’s a wedding day for me because it’s a commitment. I’m signing my life away for a good reason, so I’m really excited. My family, we’re really excited for this day.”
Reimonenq committed to the Red Wolves at the beginning of the football season, and he never wavered. When he gave the Arkansas State coaches his word, he meant it.
“I was committed, and I stand by my word, so I really wasn’t hearing too much from other schools,” Reimonenq said. “Some of them still tried to recruit me, send me mail and tried to get me on visits, but I was committed. If they couldn’t offer me anything Arkansas State couldn’t, then I wasn’t hearing it.”
Reimonenq was a ball hawk in the secondary for the Oak Grove Warriors, collecting five interceptions in each of his junior and senior seasons, and he had 92 total tackles in those two years.
At Arkansas State, Reimonenq will play the strong side safety position, but he could move around to the other defensive back positions. For now, he’s locking in on the safety spot, though.
“Arkansas State, they really stood out for me because, first of all, they win,” Reimonenq said. “I wanted to go to a school and be part of a program that wins. Secondly, it’s a family. I can tell they really care about me and value me not only as a player but also as a person. That’s what really stuck out to me when I was looking for a school.”
He admitted to being a little nervous about making the out of state move to Jonesboro, Arkansas, but he likes the feel of the tight-knit campus and community Arkansas State provides.
For Harris, the decision to commit to Mississippi State over the summer was an easy one. His late-grandfather always wanted Harris to attend Mississippi State, and when the opportunity presented itself he had to pick his dream school.
“He passed away a year ago and that’s when it really hit home, and I just wanted to do this for him,” Harris said.
Like Reimonenq, Harris’ recruitment was basically shut down after his commitment to Mississippi State.
Even though he missed nearly a month of football due to an injury this season, he picked up 73 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. In the last two years, he has 32 tackles for a loss, 19 sacks and 174 total tackles.
At Mississippi State, he’ll join one of the best defensive lines in the country, too, including teaming back up with former Oak Grove teammates Jaden Crumedy.
“There are some great players there now, and I just want to continue that legacy there at Mississippi State,” Harris said. “It’s really special to me. It’s going to be awesome playing with Jaden because me and him played last year together. Both defensive ends, so it’s going to be fun to see what we can do.”
The Mississippi State coaches like Harris at defensive end, but there are other options depending on how much weight the 6-foot-4 senior puts on his frame. If he can put on more muscle, he’ll stay on the line, but if he doesn’t, there is a possibility of him playing linebacker.
“They’re going to use my speed,” Harris said.
