A ‘Downhill and Score’ Mentality
Apr 14, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
In order to understand the journey, you have to understand the introduction — a warm handshake from the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder with arms busting out from a gray tank-top with a purple Powercat in the middle. Jay Harris, the 22-year-old former Division II First Team All-America running back from Northwest Missouri State, and a senior transfer who shined for Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl, looks you in the eyes, carrying a glint along with a businesslike demeanor.
He has goals in mind. He has work to do. Seven spring practices down as a Kansas State running back. Around 140 days to go until the 2026 season opener at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Whatever is in front of me and every time I get the ball, it's go downhill and score," Harris says. "That's my mentality every time I touch the ball. That has to be your mindset. I have a chance to be a really good running back at K-State."
The buzz from Harris' 16-carry, 35-yard, one-touchdown effort to go along with his three-catch, 32-yard performance was covered by Indiana's victorious confetti following the 56-22 outcome in the playoff semifinals, but Kansas State remembered Harris, and head coach Collin Klein, fresh off two outstanding seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and running backs coach Cory Patterson, who's coached running backs to the NFL ranks, saw plenty.
Harris, who studied Klein's offense at Texas A&M, saw plenty, as well.
"Just seeing the offense Coach Klein had at Texas A&M and the guys he had in the running back room there, they did well," Harris says. "I've been able to pick up his scheme and what he has for us. It's gone well. I've been enjoying it. It's a blessing. I'm ready to keep working."
All Harris has wanted was a chance. That's been his thing since he was in elementary school. Last season at Oregon, he played a total of 103 offensive snaps over the course of 11 games. He had 42 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and he had six catches for 89 yards — including a 50-yard reception against Montana State. He played 15 offensive snaps at Oregon in 2024 and retained his redshirt.
This came, of course, after years of working to shine along his path, from that fourth grader in St. Louis, Missouri, who picked up a football for the first time, and who played his first season as a linebacker, and how he enjoyed hitting people, and how coaches switched him to running back in the sixth grade, and how he scored three touchdowns in his first game, and how he scored three more in each game the rest of the season.
Running back quickly became Harris' passion. He played on the Timberland High School varsity team his freshman season and took off. Many colleges missed out because they recruited Harris to play defensive back, maybe nickelback, and he said no thank you. Northwest Missouri State recruited him as a running back. They got a future All-American. As a sophomore in 2023, Harris was the only player in Division I, Division II or Division III football to rush for 100 yards in every game that season, and he finished with 1,433 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
"I was really physical, ran around hitting people, learned the offensive side of things, and fell in love with playing running back," Harris says. "I took a chance on myself and went to Northwest and proved myself early and showed that I could play at that level, at that age, and at that size. Playing running back has been my whole journey. I'm continuing to work to make everybody in St. Louis proud."
Last season at Texas A&M, Klein's offense produced five different running backs that amassed at least 200 yards during the season and each averaged at least 4.70 yards per carry and four of them scored at least four touchdowns. Klein, during his initial spring football news conference, said that "it's probably as good as an offense to play running back as there is in the country."
Harris knows there should be ample opportunity to contribute alongside returning junior Joe Jackson, who earned All-Big 12 Third Team accolades while rushing for nearly 1,000 yards last season.
"At my size, there's not many backs that can do what I do," Harris says. "Most can't catch the ball, get out of the backfield, and stuff like that. Having that gift from God is a blessing. That's what I leverage myself with, having my size and being able to catch the ball. That's the biggest thing I want to put on display."
As for the added emphasis of running downhill in Klein's attack?
"It really means violence," Harris says. "Every time we touch the ball, we're going downhill. Whoever is in front of us has to get it. That's what it's been in practice."
Harris is racking up yards and making people miss in practice under the watchful eye of Patterson, who came to K-State after serving as running backs coach at Oklahoma State in 2025. Patterson, who has also coached at Illinois and Purdue, helped Illini running back Chase Brown evolve into a finalist for the 2022 Doak Walker Award. Brown, who ranked third in the FBS in averaging 136.9 rushing yards per game and was the nation's only player to rush for 100 yards in 10 games in 2022, went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Patterson was also the first coach to contact Harris in the transfer portal. Harris committed to K-State five days later on January 12.
"'CP' has helped me a lot with my routine, staying focused, practicing like a pro, and staying focused on the little things," Harris says. "Our bond goes way back. He's from St. Louis. We have that same relationship, that same comfort coming from the same spot. That connection right there is great. He wants the best for me."
And Harris wants to be the best for K-State.
"What I like most about K-State is just the way guys compete," Harris says. "The tradition has been a whole lot of hard-working football, and how they run the ball here, I'm definitely liking that. It's definitely what brought me here. I'm with Coach Klein's style and everything he wants to accomplish here."
Klein said from the outset that spring practices would be demanding. Harris can attest to that.
"They've been physical," Harris says. "Day three, we put on pads. Ever since them, we've been hitting. Even days when we're not supposed to be tackling, there are guys tackling. We're ready to compete. We're ready to get after it now."
As Harris turns to head out of the theater room at the Vanier Family Football Complex after practice, a stream of blood trickles down from his left calf. He looks down at his left calf. Then he notices blood also trickling down his right calf.
"Dang," he says, smiling, looking down at his legs. "It's one of those days."
In the fall, Harris, behind his hard work, violent on field mentality — and even blood — hopes to have K-State fans smiling.
He's eager to make his introduction.
In order to understand the journey, you have to understand the introduction — a warm handshake from the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder with arms busting out from a gray tank-top with a purple Powercat in the middle. Jay Harris, the 22-year-old former Division II First Team All-America running back from Northwest Missouri State, and a senior transfer who shined for Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl, looks you in the eyes, carrying a glint along with a businesslike demeanor.
He has goals in mind. He has work to do. Seven spring practices down as a Kansas State running back. Around 140 days to go until the 2026 season opener at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
"Whatever is in front of me and every time I get the ball, it's go downhill and score," Harris says. "That's my mentality every time I touch the ball. That has to be your mindset. I have a chance to be a really good running back at K-State."
The buzz from Harris' 16-carry, 35-yard, one-touchdown effort to go along with his three-catch, 32-yard performance was covered by Indiana's victorious confetti following the 56-22 outcome in the playoff semifinals, but Kansas State remembered Harris, and head coach Collin Klein, fresh off two outstanding seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and running backs coach Cory Patterson, who's coached running backs to the NFL ranks, saw plenty.
Harris, who studied Klein's offense at Texas A&M, saw plenty, as well.
"Just seeing the offense Coach Klein had at Texas A&M and the guys he had in the running back room there, they did well," Harris says. "I've been able to pick up his scheme and what he has for us. It's gone well. I've been enjoying it. It's a blessing. I'm ready to keep working."
All Harris has wanted was a chance. That's been his thing since he was in elementary school. Last season at Oregon, he played a total of 103 offensive snaps over the course of 11 games. He had 42 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and he had six catches for 89 yards — including a 50-yard reception against Montana State. He played 15 offensive snaps at Oregon in 2024 and retained his redshirt.
This came, of course, after years of working to shine along his path, from that fourth grader in St. Louis, Missouri, who picked up a football for the first time, and who played his first season as a linebacker, and how he enjoyed hitting people, and how coaches switched him to running back in the sixth grade, and how he scored three touchdowns in his first game, and how he scored three more in each game the rest of the season.
Running back quickly became Harris' passion. He played on the Timberland High School varsity team his freshman season and took off. Many colleges missed out because they recruited Harris to play defensive back, maybe nickelback, and he said no thank you. Northwest Missouri State recruited him as a running back. They got a future All-American. As a sophomore in 2023, Harris was the only player in Division I, Division II or Division III football to rush for 100 yards in every game that season, and he finished with 1,433 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
"I was really physical, ran around hitting people, learned the offensive side of things, and fell in love with playing running back," Harris says. "I took a chance on myself and went to Northwest and proved myself early and showed that I could play at that level, at that age, and at that size. Playing running back has been my whole journey. I'm continuing to work to make everybody in St. Louis proud."
Last season at Texas A&M, Klein's offense produced five different running backs that amassed at least 200 yards during the season and each averaged at least 4.70 yards per carry and four of them scored at least four touchdowns. Klein, during his initial spring football news conference, said that "it's probably as good as an offense to play running back as there is in the country."
Harris knows there should be ample opportunity to contribute alongside returning junior Joe Jackson, who earned All-Big 12 Third Team accolades while rushing for nearly 1,000 yards last season.
"At my size, there's not many backs that can do what I do," Harris says. "Most can't catch the ball, get out of the backfield, and stuff like that. Having that gift from God is a blessing. That's what I leverage myself with, having my size and being able to catch the ball. That's the biggest thing I want to put on display."
As for the added emphasis of running downhill in Klein's attack?
"It really means violence," Harris says. "Every time we touch the ball, we're going downhill. Whoever is in front of us has to get it. That's what it's been in practice."
Harris is racking up yards and making people miss in practice under the watchful eye of Patterson, who came to K-State after serving as running backs coach at Oklahoma State in 2025. Patterson, who has also coached at Illinois and Purdue, helped Illini running back Chase Brown evolve into a finalist for the 2022 Doak Walker Award. Brown, who ranked third in the FBS in averaging 136.9 rushing yards per game and was the nation's only player to rush for 100 yards in 10 games in 2022, went to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Patterson was also the first coach to contact Harris in the transfer portal. Harris committed to K-State five days later on January 12.
"'CP' has helped me a lot with my routine, staying focused, practicing like a pro, and staying focused on the little things," Harris says. "Our bond goes way back. He's from St. Louis. We have that same relationship, that same comfort coming from the same spot. That connection right there is great. He wants the best for me."
And Harris wants to be the best for K-State.
"What I like most about K-State is just the way guys compete," Harris says. "The tradition has been a whole lot of hard-working football, and how they run the ball here, I'm definitely liking that. It's definitely what brought me here. I'm with Coach Klein's style and everything he wants to accomplish here."
Klein said from the outset that spring practices would be demanding. Harris can attest to that.
"They've been physical," Harris says. "Day three, we put on pads. Ever since them, we've been hitting. Even days when we're not supposed to be tackling, there are guys tackling. We're ready to compete. We're ready to get after it now."
As Harris turns to head out of the theater room at the Vanier Family Football Complex after practice, a stream of blood trickles down from his left calf. He looks down at his left calf. Then he notices blood also trickling down his right calf.
"Dang," he says, smiling, looking down at his legs. "It's one of those days."
In the fall, Harris, behind his hard work, violent on field mentality — and even blood — hopes to have K-State fans smiling.
He's eager to make his introduction.
Players Mentioned
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