With the great expectations Penn State has entering the 2025 season, award watch list season should be a fruitful one for the Nittany Lions.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy announced their annual preseason watch list on Wednesday, on it is junior cornerback A.J. Harris.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded annually to the student-athlete who best exhibits the characteristics of Ronnie Lott by making an IMPACT on and off the field. IMPACT is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
The award’s namesake Ronnie Lott was an all time great at safety and corner in both college and the NFL. Lott played for USC (1977-1980), was part of the school’s 1978 national championship team, an unanimous All-American in 1980, and named to three All Pac-10 teams.
In the NFL, Lott was an All-Pro as both a free and strong safety as well as cornerback. Lott was a key member of San Francisco 49ers four Super Bowl championships and was named to the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.
Harris was named to the third team All-Big Ten team by both the coaches and media last season.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.During the 2024 season, Harris finished with 48 tackles (28 solo), four tackles for loss, one interception and five pass breakups.
Harris finished his sophomore year ranked among the top 10 most valuable cornerbacks in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, while only allowing 0.76 yards per coverage snap.
PFF College has named Harris its No. 7 returning cornerback in the nation.
The Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list includes 42 defensive players as selected by the Lott IMPACT Trophy Board of Directors. The award is presented annually in December.
