How Josh Harris Sr., a father of two, brings leadership and urgency to UNC’s defense

Joshua Harris Sr. performed one of his first gigs, if you can even call it that, at N.C. State’s Tompkins Hall — the location of Harris’ English class and, more crucially, a grand piano.

One day, Harris’ teammates prompted him to sit down and show off his talents on the keys. Harris began to play “Für Elise.” His teammates were in shock, seeing the 6-foot-4 defensive lineman effortlessly performing Beethoven. Cellphone videos of Harris’ impromptu recital soon circulated online and in team group chats.

Some of those clips have now made it to Chapel Hill, where Harris has joined the Tar Heels after a brief stint at Ole Miss last season. But Harris doesn’t have much time to play piano now. Not with a wife, two kids and a third on the way. Not with one season of college eligibility remaining. Not with his dreams of making it to the NFL.

The old soul — the bellowing voice that loves to sing John Legend and performed in his church’s choir — still remains. But Harris’ time to play piano is limited. His career is on the line.

“I’ve just got to give it all I got,” Harris said. “This is my last camp.”

If Harris has a sense of urgency, he’s not alone on the North Carolina defense. The five returning starters and newcomers like Harris Sr. and Jakeen Harris (of the same last name and rival school in Raleigh) all share a desire to reshape the narrative surrounding the Tar Heels on that side of the ball.

Edge rusher Kaimon Rucker, speaking at ACC Kickoff, said there’s “a different attitude in the air.” He expressed his desire to once and for all change the portrayal of UNC’s defense. Rucker wants everyone talking about the Tar Heels — not because of how many rushing or passing yards they give up — but because of what they can do.

Harris, who committed to UNC in April, wasn’t around to hear that criticism. The condemnation hasn’t had the same time to fester. Harris is driven all the same, but for different reasons.

“I got somebody I got to provide for now,” Harris said. “I’m not just doing this for me, you know what I mean? So now that I have two kids and a wife and another [kid] on the way, I feel like I gotta get this, you know?”

He paused and repeated, softer this time, “I gotta get this.”

‘Coming home’

Harris committed to N.C. State out of high school. He loved the coaches and Raleigh. And while he won’t speak on what exactly caused him to leave, Harris said there was a falling out.

“I felt like I needed more to get myself to the league,” Harris said.

The grad student transferred to Ole Miss for the 2023 season and tallied 13 tackles across 13 games, but something was still missing. He needed to come back home.

Harris said Mack Brown stood out in the recruiting process. He liked the way Brown talked to the players, his positivity and the smile he wore around Kenan Football Center.

By the time the coaching staff took Harris to Ruth’s Chris Steak House on his official visit, it was a done deal.

“They were shocked,” Harris said. “I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m coming here. I’m coming home.’”

Harris didn’t make the decision just for himself, but also his family — his wife Taylor and kids Joshua Jr. and Aylah June. Harris and Taylor are both from Roxboro. Being far from their loved ones last year was difficult, particularly for Taylor.

“Her mom lives five minutes from here,” Harris said. “It’s perfect. We’re able to drop the kids off when we need help.”

Balancing fatherhood, his post-baccalaureate classes and practice is “a lot,” but Harris discusses it all with a soft tone and light chuckle.

“A lot of people talk about how hard it is,” Harris said, ‘but when I go home — no matter how bad of a day I have — when I go home and I see my two kids jumping up and down, so excited to see me, it brightens my whole day. It brightens my whole mood… it motivates me. It just brings joy.”

‘We need a leader’

There are, of course, other reasons Harris came to UNC. Defensive line coach Ted Monachino, who coached 16 years in the NFL, is one of them.

“His background is just perfect,” Harris said. “He’s able to tweak up my mistakes I got on film and just really prepare me (for the NFL).”

In many ways, Harris is also perfect for the Tar Heels.

Brown spoke frankly this offseason about the need for more depth at defensive line. Then Harris came. Monachino now claims he could play 14 defensive linemen — far beyond Brown’s cries to play two-deep at every position.

“When you get somebody like Josh that’s leading, the rest of them follow,” Brown said, “That’s really been impressive.”

Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins praised Harris, calling him a “tremendous leader” who has “meshed well with the guys” — a fact that’s obvious if you step into any given fall practice.

One day, you may see Harris helping a teammate take off his jersey and pads. He often pipes up in smaller group settings. Sometimes, he’ll grab a member of the coaching staff to point out, “he’s coming right through us this way” and ask what adjustments can be made.

“I feel like it was a role that was bestowed upon me when I first got here,” Harris said, “because they [the coaches] all said, ‘We need a leader and we see you as a leader.’”

Hopefully for UNC, Harris’ leadership will translate to on-field success. North Carolina’s opponents rushed for a first down 113 times and averaged roughly 163 rushing yards last season. UNC ranked bottom-four in the conference by both marks.

North Carolina fired defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and lost veteran linebacker Cedric Gray to the NFL this offseason.

Yes, Rucker and Power Echols stepped up to fill that void, but Harris brings something different.

“He’s one hell of a football player but he’s also a really, really personable guy,” Caleb LaVallee, a redshirt freshman linebacker said. “He’s always in a great mood, always smiling, always making jokes. It was awesome that we were able to have him — not just for his football skills but how he is in the locker room.”

As the Tar Heels strive to turn around their defensive performance this season, Harris’ experience and skill will be crucial.

And although he hasn’t yet located any grand pianos on campus, Harris’ voice echoes throughout the indoor practice facility like the sound of Sunday church bells.

“We’re getting betterrrrrr!”

He’s playing a different tune. One that hopefully rings true this season for the Tar Heels, for Harris and, for his family’s sake, his future.