5STAR PREPS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS
2018 — Cade Ballard, Greenville, QB
2019 — Elijah Young, South-Doyle, RB
2020 — Parker Hughes, Elizabethton, WR
2021 — DeSean Bishop, Karns, RB
2022 — Walker Martinez, Anderson County, QB
2023 — Braylon Harmon, Knoxville Catholic, WR
BY DAVE LINK
Catholic head football coach Philip Shadowens has seen a lot of football and a lot of players during his coaching career.
One player stands out as a punt returner.
Shadowens has not seen one like Catholic senior Braylon Harmon, who’s committed to Tennessee as a wide receiver/returner/athlete.
“In all the years I’ve coached in over 30 years, he’s the best returner that I’ve ever seen in high school football,” Shadowens said. “Some of that is him just being able to instinctively see where it’s fixing to open because every kid can’t see that, the vision that Braylon has in the return game where he can see a crease.
“And obviously being extremely explosive where he can get into the crease, but when he gets there, nobody is going to catch him. The speed alone didn’t do it for Braylon. It’s the absolute vision that he has that was better than anybody I’ve ever seen in all my years.”
Harmon was a multi-dimensional force for the Irish offense this season during Catholic’s run the Division II-AAA state semifinals. In addition to returning punts and kickoffs, Harmon played wide receiver, slot receiver, and wildcat quarterback.
“We ran a lot of jet sweeps with him, which were some of the completions as well,” Shadowens said. “We moved him around quite a bit. We threw a lot of quick hitches to him and then we threw it down the field to him.”
Harmon, the 5Star Preps Offensive Player of the Year, posted 19 total touchdowns and 2,413 all-purpose yards during Catholic’s memorable season.
The Irish (7-6) posted state playoff victories over Father Ryan and Memphis University School – Catholic had never won a Division II-AAA playoff game – before losing to Chattanooga Baylor 49-35 in the semifinals.
Harmon wasn’t surprised by the run.
“I did see it coming,” he said. “Our senior class that we had was just the best senior class we’ve had for the past four years that I’ve been there, at least. I just know we had a lot of leadership. Me and Connor Ruth were captains of our team last year (2022) as juniors, and you don’t usually see that on teams.
“We just had really good senior leadership, making people raise that bar to a higher level, and our team raised the bar. Our freshmen did all they could to help us, and it just showed out during the season. That’s why we made such a far run.”
Harmon decided to graduate this spring with his Class of 2024 — which includes his twin brother Jaylon Harmon — instead of enrolling early at Tennessee.
Braylon will also run the 100- and 200-meter dashes this spring for the Irish track team; he has run the 400-meters in past years.
“It’s good,” he said of staying for spring semester. “It’s like one last go-round with my friends and, of course, my twin. I get to see them just for a few more months, which is great, so I’m glad for that, and of course track. I’ve got to go out there and win some races. I can’t end like I did my junior season, so I’ve got to go out there and win some races.”
PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS
Harmon (5-9.5, 185 pounds) fell short of his personal goal in 2023 but not for lack of want-to.
“I had expectations of getting Mr. Football,” he said. “That was my goal. Of course, I didn’t make it. I fell short of that, which I wish I’d made it. Of course, to get 1,000 receiving yards again, which I luckily did, and just to get as many things as I could. Just keep making plays, keep making plays every time and see where it goes.”
It went up and down the field against opponents.
Harmon had 84 catches for 1,071 yards (12.75-yard average catch) and nine touchdowns and rushed for 259 yards and four touchdowns on 56 carries (4.63-yard average run).
Shadowens said Harmon is a beast for opponents to tackle.
“You have to really tackle him,” Shadowens said. “An arm’s not going to bring him down. He broke so many tackles because people can’t get in front of him because he’s so fast, and they’d stick an arm out and he’s just too powerful a kid to tackle with an arm.
“His ability and great moves with elite speed and the combination of being shifty but extremely strong to get away from arm tackles, he had so many YAC (yards after catch) yards. That’s what made him different from most people.”
Harmon returned 18 punts for 364 yards (20.2-yard average) with two touchdowns and returned 23 kickoffs for 719 yards (31.26-yard average) with four touchdowns.
Shadowens said Harmon’s vision as a returner is special.
“He sees it before (an opening’s) there,” Shadowens said. “It’s the vision of understanding where a block’s coming from, or leverage on a player is coming from, and he’s just naturally gifted to do that, and obviously he’s extremely fast, probably the fastest kid in our league.”
Add work ethic and strength to the equation, and Harmon has all the tools.
“He’s extremely strong. He’s a powerful kid,” Shadowens said. “His legs are muscle. His upper body is gifted. He is a muscle kid. He has good heredity, good genetics, but crazy hard work. He has really developed his body into something you don’t normally see.”
Harmon doesn’t have to push himself in the weight room or during workouts.
It comes naturally.
“I guess it’s just love for the game because I’ve played ever since I was 5 and I’ve just loved it,” he said. “I don’t think of it as a bad thing to go out there and play and work hard. I don’t care if it’s tiring. It’s fun to me. I love it. I’ve always loved it. I’m really excited to go and work hard and be the best player I can be there at Tennessee.”
BEING A VOL: “AWESOME”
Harmon feels blessed for his UT opportunity.
His offer from Tennessee came late in the recruiting process, on Nov. 4, and it was his first Power Five offer. He committed to the Vols on Dec. 18.
“It’s crazy. I never would have thought it would happen,” Harmon said. “It was my senior season and I didn’t think that they were going to offer, and they did. It’s crazy. It’s awesome.”
Shadowens and Harmon met with UT special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler before Christmas and were told Harmon can play right away on special teams.
“He’s that explosive an athlete,” Shadowens said. “I think that’s their expectation and why they offered him. They think he can come in right away and contribute in the special teams game. Obviously, he’s got the receiving ability. He’s not a tall kid, so he’ll probably play some kind of slot for Tennessee, and maybe he plays right away as a receiver.”
For now, Harmon is staying busy with offseason training and preparing for track season.
“I’ve mostly been over at Triple F (Elite Sports Training), trying to gain my speed, my power, get all that stuff,” he said. “I need my mobility, side-to-side mobility of course because I’ve got to be able to make plays and make people miss, and I know it’s going to be at a harder scale since it’s SEC football. I’ve got to work on it to be at my best ability. Of course, (pass) catching, I’ve just got to work at keeping my craft up.”
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