Harden at full strength ahead of Cal Poly

After just two games this season Myles Harden is asserting himself as a cornerback who stays close to the action for the University of South Dakota.

A very promising freshman campaign during the COVID-shortened spring 2021 season led directly to Harden enthusiastically greeting the fall of 2021 looking to build on what he’d done. That enthusiasm was matched by a coaching staff anxious to see how he would be able to build on his early success.

Then a broken leg against North Dakota ended those aspirations after six games. He ran off the field after the play, but minutes later knew things weren’t quite right. An x-ray confirmed he had a broken fibula and he was on the sidelines the rest of the year.

“I was anxious to get back out there this fall because I hadn’t played in so long,” said Harden, who was a standout at Miramar High School in the Miami area. “I forgot what it felt like to be out there. But after the first couple of practices, I settled in and got back to my old self.”

His old self in this case is marked by a mature approach to the game and an attitude toward just about everything else that goes well beyond his years.

“From a personality standpoint, he’s kind of an old soul,” said USD defensive coordinator Travis Johansen. “From a football perspective, he’s a really talented kid. The more he’s grown up and matured in the program, he’s become a leader who is comfortable with playing the game at a high level. I love the kid – he’s great.”

Last week in a loss at Montana, the 5-10, 190-pound sophomore forced and recovered a fumble near the goal line and also picked off a pass. In addition, his four tackles-for-losses leads the Missouri Valley Conference, an unusual ranking for a cornerback. Though USD has some work to do to get to where they want to be during a tough opening stretch this season, Harden’s play counts as an obvious bright spot moving into this week's game with a pass-centered Cal Poly team coming to the DakotaDome.

“We look at it like the past is the past and we can’t change it,” Harden said. “We played a couple bad games – we know we’re a better team than we’ve shown. We’re going to show that this week and for the rest of the season. We’re going to clean things up and be better.”

Harden was recruited out of Florida by Johansen and former Coyote assistant Abdul Hodge, who has since returned to Iowa, his alma mater. Their trips to Miramar High School, where Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith played, also brought in Josiah Ganues, a starting safety for the Coyotes. 

“We’ve been playing together since our junior year of high school,” Harden said of Ganues. “We built up a pretty good bond in high school and we still have it. I know he has my back and he knows I have his.”

Both decided coming north to play football was the thing to do. It’s not like that was the plan all along but it became the plan. 

“Competition is going to be everywhere,” Harden said. “But here I had a better chance to play early in my career. Then when I got my chance, I ran with it and didn’t look back. The bond Coach Hodge built with my parents – that’s what really solidified my commitment to come here.”

He survived his first winter without serious incident though he bought warmer clothes once he got here. He has also come to take an “old soul” approach to South Dakota overall. 

His father, Lanorris, and mother, Valeria, continue to play huge roles in his life, something his coaches noticed from the beginning in the recruitment process.

“His parents are very driven people who hold Myles to a high standard,” Johansen said. “First and foremost, they’re great people themselves. I think that’s where that ‘old school’ shows up when it comes to what they expect out of Myles.”

It might be why Harden is very comfortable with the way the Coyote coaching staff operates. In his words: “Coach Johansen expects us to compete at a high level every day. They expect us to be smart, high-level players. That’s what I like about it. Coach Nielson is the same way.”

Harden believes the Coyotes are capable of being a special group as the season advances. Fixing a few mental mistakes can lead to big victories down the road. 

“He’s a great kid with a bright future,” Johansen said. “He’s what we’d call a home run. If we can get a few more like him, we’re going to be in good shape.”