QB1's steal all the headlines. They even get their own Netflix show. But the Coyotes may have found their CB1 of the future in budding star Myles Harden, one of three young Coyotes on the roster from Miramar High School in Florida.
 
Yes, it was true freshman Carson Camp who accounted for all three touchdowns in the Coyotes' 27-20 win at Illinois State in the season opener last spring. But on the other side of the football, Harden, also a true freshman, had just as profound an impact. He stepped in front of a Bryce Jefferson pass in the final minute of the first half that set up Camp's 15-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 17-17. Harden's second interception of the game came in the fourth quarter and helped preserve the lead.
 
But Harden's highlights didn't stop there. He compiled 16 tackles including one for loss and had seven pass breakups in just four games. Add the breakups and the picks and Harden was the FCS national leader in pass breakups per game.
 
"I wanted to play and I want to win," said Harden. "Those were my top goals when I arrived here. I tried to be as consistent as I could in practices leading up to the season and I think the coaches saw that. I had to work on my breaks and I had to tackle more, because the players are obviously bigger at this level."
 
He also studied more, and Harden's ability to remember formations in his preparation makes it easier for him to play faster on game days. Those skills likely were developed by his mother, Valeria, an ESE teacher at Miramar. Being the son of a teacher meant he had to wake up a bit earlier for high school, all things that helped Harden transition to college.
 
"That first year was crazy, it was good, it was hard," said Harden. "I had to wake up early for workouts with class right after so I had to work on my scheduling. I got better as the year went and now I'm used to it. I know how to manage my time."
 
It also helped having high school teammate Josiah Ganues nearby. Coaches Travis Johansen and Abdul Hodge got a commitment from Ganues first and then Harden committed to USD shortly thereafter. Harden's first trip to campus just happened to come on the same day the Coyotes downed South Dakota State 24-21 inside the DakotaDome.
 
"Coach Hodge said we were going to come in and change the program," said Harden. "The Dome obviously helped and it was a great atmosphere on game day. Now, to get where we want to go, the focus is on tackling and locking in on our assignments. That's what's going to make us a better defense this fall."