Ole Miss WR Tre Harris talks about playing in Peach Bowl: ‘It’s a huge honor…it’s a dream come true’
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris took his turn with the media in Atlanta Thursday to talk about his experiences this week in preparation for Saturday’s Peach Bowl.
The Bowl Experience
With many Rebel players announcing their return for the 2024 season ahead of their departure to Atlanta, that undoubtedly has helped make all the festivities associated with a NY6 game even more fun to enjoy for Ole Miss.
Former Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris was amongst the many Rebels who announced he would be returning to Oxford for his final year of eligibility. The big-play receiver talked about how Atlanta has been thus far.
“My favorite event was last night going through the College Hall of Fame, just seeing the history, seeing the bowls and seeing the players that were inducted…it was probably my favorite part so far.”
~ Harris on his favorite part of the week
Just like many young athletes, Harris explained how a game as big as the Peach Bowl is a game you grow up wanting to be a part of.
“It’s surreal…we grew up watching games like this, and to finally be a part of it, it’s a huge honor to be part of a game like this. It’s a dream come true. We all want to go out there and play in the big games, and to be able to do that is huge for me, especially for me and my career and everyone else on this team.”
~ Harris on what playing in a bowl like this means
With all the fun that comes along with a NY6 trip, winning the game can do a lot for a program heading into the next season. Lane Kiffin and company have already managed to keep many key players, along with Harris, on the roster for another year, and the Ole Miss pass catcher completely understands what a Peach Bowl win can mean.
“It will be a lot of momentum going into next year if we go out there and get a W. We’re playing against a ‘Blue-Blood’ type of program, so it would be good to go out there and get a win against them. On top of that, we’d be doing something that’s never been done in Ole Miss history and getting that 11th win. Having those two milestones ahead of us going into next year would be huge and bring a lot of momentum, especially for next year.”
~ Harris on the significance of getting a win Saturday
The Scouting Report
Along with tight end Caden Prieskorn and co-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr, Harris was asked questions about the Penn State defense.
The Nittany Lions ranked amongst the league’s best in every major defensive stat category, one of their best being the ability to control the run game. Penn State was one of three FBS teams this season to give up less than 1000 yards rushing on the year.
On top of that, the Penn State secondary is only giving up 153 yards per game, which ranked third in the country this season. Although Harris will be matched up with likely future first-round draft pick Kalen King, the Ole Miss playmaker has all the confidence in his game.
“For me, my mindset every week no matter what DB it is, go kill, go dominate, no matter who is in front of me. For me, it is just go out there and play my game and execute the game plan that’s being made for us. We know they’ve got a good secondary back there, but we’ve got good receivers. We’ve got good guys with good pass catching and a good QB that is going to give us the ball on time. So we’ll go out there and play our game, and we’re going to bring it to them.”
~ Harris on his confidence against Penn State’s defense
Harris led the Rebels in touchdown grabs this season with eight; however, King did not allow a touchdown this season and was only targeted 41 times.
Up Next
Tre Harris and his Rebel teammates inch closer to taking the field on Saturday for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Kickoff is set for Noon ET on ESPN.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
