When Justin Harrington entered the transfer portal last October after appearing sparingly in Oklahoma’s first four games last season, he returned home to Raleigh, North Carolina.
The trip to his hometown usually requires two flights or 17 hours of car travel, but it’s where he stayed and watched from afar as his former teammates completed the 2021 season.
However, being at home with his parents reminded Harrington of how much he missed the game. While the Sooners were scratching by wins, he was at home reflecting on his decision to leave the program.
The time off gave him a new perspective.
“I tell a lot of the younger guys, like, it’s not fun being at home if you want to play football,” Harrington said Tuesday. “You’re saying, ‘I don’t really want to be here some days or the workout is hard,’ but at the end of the day I went home and I felt what being a regular student feels like. It does not feel good if you want to play football.”
Justin Harrington during Oklahoma's fall camp in 2021.
Harrington, a former highly-recruited, four-star junior college prospect, has yet to contribute in a significant way for the Sooners. But after returning from the portal in a walk-on role, he’s hoping to finally live up to expectations against UTEP at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
After last season concluded and Venables became Oklahoma’s head coach, Harrington started communicating with him, teammates — Woodi Washington, Reggie Grimes and Key Lawrence — and safeties coach Brandon Hall about possibly rejoining the team. Harrington said he exchanged texts with Venables frequently, while talking to Hall nearly every day.
In April, Venables said he conversed with some of his players who knew Harrington well to find out if bringing him back would benefit the program.
The redshirt senior’s second chance with the program was ultimately granted after an offseason meeting in his new head coach’s office. Venables said Harrington was honest about how he mistakenly handled his situation by leaving midseason.
The conversation lasted about 90 minutes, according to Harrington, and the discussion hardly featured any football talk. Instead, Harrington said he and Venables got to know each other on a deeper level, and decided that grace was merited in his situation.
“I asked him to come back with humility expecting nothing,” Venables said Tuesday. “And to be about the work. And that’s the way that I encouraged him to earn the trust and respect of his teammates. And he has done that (and) he has over delivered in that regard. He’s got a can-do attitude."
Harrington, 22, concurred, understanding he made an impulsive decision.
“It was a real, selfless moment,” Harrington said of his talks with Venables. “I would say it was the least prideful. I had to put all my pride to the side.”
Harrington has now worked his way back into contention for a role in Oklahoma’s defense. On Monday, he was listed as DaShaun White’s backup at “cheetah,” but he’s expected to play a fair share of snaps.
Defensive coordinator Ted Roof is among those who has noticed Harrington’s determination since rejoining the Sooners.
“He has worked extremely hard,” Roof said Monday. “Been extremely committed and approached this thing the right way. And he has had a good camp as well. With the versatility of the skill set he has, (Cheetah) fits him.”
Justin Harrington during Oklahoma's fall camp in 2021.
Harrington originally came to OU as a safety from Bakersfield Community College in 2020, but redshirted after a knee injury sidelined him for the season. Then last year, Harrington was moved to cornerback, where he played before entering the portal.
He hopes his versatility will translate to the “cheetah” position, a hybrid between a nickelback and strongside linebacker. His athletic frame — 6-foot-3, 215 pounds — should also bode well for the position, which requires “a variety of things,” according to Venables.
Despite being a walk-on, Harrington said he’s solely focused on his chance to contribute this season. Although he’s no longer on scholarship, he said his path to snaps is the same as anyone else's.
At the end of the day, a scholarship is just money to Harrington. The humbleness he displayed, and Venables called for, was taught to him while growing up in church with his family.
Now, he’s aiming to use that as fuel for a memorable season with the Sooners.
“Once I got the opportunity, I ran out here (with) a breath of fresh air like I was a 5-year-old,” Harrington said. “I love being out here everyday. I love being in the locker room every day.”
