By Tyler Devine

IOWA CITY, Iowa – It is rare for the Iowa football team to offer scholarships to high school freshmen.

2022 running back Arlen Harris is an exception to that after receiving an offer from Iowa over the weekend.

“Receiving an offer from Iowa is unexplainable,” Harris said. “It’s very humbling and I thank God for the opportunity to possibly be a part of a program like that. It motivates me to work even harder.”

Harris, a native of St. Peters, Mo., believes that he could see himself fitting in well with Iowa's offense.

"I like how they use their backs," Harris said. "(Running backs) coach (Derrick) Foster has a similar coaching style to what I'm used to. The environment is blue collar and family oriented."

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Harris is believed to be the first prospect in the 2022 class to receive an offer from Iowa, which he said also adds to his motivation.

“It’s crazy motivating,” Harris said. “Nothing is guaranteed right now and it’s my job to make sure they never second guess themselves over the next few years. It’s pretty cool but I can’t think of it that way.”

Harris also has offers from Illinois and Nebraska and said that those offers, along with the one from Iowa, will continue to stand out as he gets further into the recruiting process.

“It’s huge to me because one of their main things is building relationships,” Harris said. “If they offer, that means they want you to be a Hawkeye. So over the next few years my relationship with the staff and program should only grow from there.”