Well, this isn’t your average college football story. You think redshirts and fifth-year seniors are the only ones pushing it? Try telling that to Arkansas wide receiver Monte Harrison, who turns 30 on August 10. And no, he’s not a graduate assistant. He’s a sophomore.
Yes, you read that right. A sophomore. At 30. Playing SEC football with kids born in 2006. Monte Harrison isn’t just any old guy walking onto a practice field. He spent nearly a decade playing professional baseball and was even part of the blockbuster trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers.
Now, he’s running routes in Fayetteville.
Arkansas Fans Can’t Handle It
Harrison’s story sounds like a football fever dream. After getting drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers straight out of high school in 2014, he spent years grinding it out in the minors. He had big-league stints with the Marlins and even made his way through a few other teams before deciding it was time to change. And that pivot led him to college football at 30.
He’s now on scholarship at Arkansas, rocking the Razorbacks uniform and blending in with teammates who were in kindergarten when he signed his first pro contract. Even wilder? He’s not some walk-on stunt. He has three years of eligibility left.
Fans didn’t hold back on social media. One user joked, “Mf runs like a 30 yr old too.”
Another said, humorously pointing at Harrison, “Dudes gonna need a week to recover.”
One post bluntly read, “Ain’t no way… NCAA needs to be in jail.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen older players in college football. Miami tight end Cam McCormick became a meme for playing into his ninth season. BYU has long welcomed older players returning from missions. But this? This is different. This guy could be catching passes against Alabama while remembering the Clinton administration.
Arkansas hasn’t officially commented beyond welcoming Harrison to the program, but it’s clear the NCAA rulebook has more holes than ever. NIL, transfer chaos, and now, age limits?
Until the rules change, expect more curveballs like this. And maybe, just maybe, Percy Harvin picks up the phone for Florida.
