Missouri football’s foundation for the future is taking shape. Through “Building the Den,” Maneater reporter Mike Livingston profiles the recruits constructing the Tigers’ 2026 class, a group built on talent, identity, and the promise of what’s to come.
Missouri football has headlined its 2026 in-state recruiting class with three-star recruit Keenan Harris, landing one of the state’s top local prospects.
Harris, a safety out of St. Louis University High School, pledged his commitment to the Tigers on May 23.
He joins a stacked 2026 secondary with the likes of Tony Forney and the recently added four-star JJ Bush coming in alongside him.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Harris is ranked as the No. 33 safety in the nation and the No. 4 player in the state of Missouri, according to 247Sports.
Harris, who also played varsity basketball the past three years in high school, drew interest from numerous Power Four programs. He fielded offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn, Ohio State, and Texas A&M, among others. His recruiting process, however, began back in the fall of his freshman season when Missouri became the first school to offer him a Division I scholarship.
After nearly three years of recruitment, Harris ultimately chose Missouri despite taking official visits to Oklahoma and Iowa over the summer. It remains to be seen how Harris may fit into an already crowded defensive backfield class. However, the Tigers are projected to graduate several key names in Daylan Carnell, Jalen Catalon, and Drey Norwood.
Since receiving his first offer in 2022, Harris has lived up to the hype. As a freshman, he recorded 95 tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery and an interception. He posted 112 tackles as a sophomore and 108 as a junior. He capped that off with a stellar 26 tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumbles recovered, one touchdown, and a pick-six in his junior season.
When watching Harris play, his natural athleticism and instincts for finding the football make his presence felt on every down.
In high school, Harris lined up all over the field. He regularly played at edge rusher and linebacker in coverage, while also taking snaps at wide receiver, where he used his physical frame to overpower smaller defenders. He even contributed as a punt returner, using his acceleration to become a nightmare for opposing special teams units.
While Harris won’t step right into the Missouri defense as a freshman, his size and elite natural athleticism give him the upper hand on others in his class. He could see snaps on special teams and in other spots across the defense, his first year as a Tiger.
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