Ronnie Harrison has the talent to be a Division I player in football or basketball. He’s having to make up for lost time, however, after an ACL injury.
FORNEY, Texas — Check the popular athlete recruiting sites and you will not find Ronnie Harrison’s name
How can that be?
After all, this is the same Forney High School senior who has been tearing up Class 5A basketball in Texas.
“Every game, he’s good for two or three rim-rockers that just about blow the roof of this place,” explained Forney football head coach Jeff Fleener.
In the fall, Harrison was catching lobs in the end zone for Fleener and the Jackrabbits football team.
This winter, Harrison is catching lobs at the rim for a Forney basketball team ranked No. 9 in the state.
“As far as overall talent, he is the most talented player I’ve ever had,” admitted Bart Holloway, Forney’s boys basketball coach for the last 14 seasons.
At 6-foot-6-inches and 210-pounds with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, Harrison has the measurables and talent to be a Division I player next fall — in either sport.
“I think he can go play at whatever level he gets a chance to,” Holloway declared.
However, the 17-year-old is not a five-star recruit. Or a four-star. Or a three-star. Or any star.
In August 2021, Ronnie suffered a torn ACL while going through layup lines in summer basketball — one week before the start of football two-a-days.
He would miss his junior season in football and basketball.
“I thought, ‘I’ll never get a chance to play at the next level,'” Harrison recalled. “Because junior season is the season most coaches recruit you at.”
He’s right.
Junior year is a crucial and pivotal year for top-level high school recruits in all sports, especially the ultra-competitive ones likes football and basketball. It’s most often the year scouts make contact and offers based on performance and potential.
Harrison had no junior tape, so scouts did not pay him much attention.
“I was going through some emotional things, but my family helped me hold it together as well as all the coaches and staff,” Harrison said. “They just said, ‘Be patient. Your time will come.'”
Now in his final year at Forney, Harrison is making up for lost time.
“We’ve played against kids who have D1 and he’s the best player on the floor,” Holloway asserted.
Harrson’s got the stats to back it up, too:
Harrison shows out regularly. It’s up to the scouts to show up.
“I hope whoever gets him right now can hold onto him a year or two from now,” Fleener said. “Because all the big [programs] are gonna realize they missed out on him.”
Forney boys basketball is in the midst of one of its best seasons in school history.
Ronnie Harrison is a big reason why.
His time is now.
You can follow Ronnie on Twitter, and he does have highlights updated regularly on Hudl: Basketball and Football.