By Khayri Carter
Contributing Writer
San Diego State’s 2027 recruiting class picked up a significant piece this week, as the Aztecs landed a commitment from four-star wing Davey Harris. The commitment comes two weeks after Harris took his official visit to The Mesa, and it continues a trend that’s become something of a program signature under Brian Dutcher: landing strong, athletic wings who fit the Aztec mold.
Who Is Davey Harris?
Harris is out of Windward School in Los Angeles, a program with a basketball pedigree that punches well above its weight. In recent years, Windward has produced Jules Bernard, Shareef O’Neal, and current WNBA players Charisma Osborne Jordin Canada.
Every one of those four players ended up at UCLA, which makes Harris’s decision to head south to San Diego instead all the more interesting.
His high school coach is a familiar face to Aztec fans: D.J. Gay. Gay served as captain of the legendary 2010-11 SDSU team that ran alongside Kawhi Leonard, finished the season 34-3, and reached as high as No. 4 in the national polls. The “D-J-Gay!” chant remains one of the most beloved traditions in Viejas Arena history, and it still rings out just as loud every time he walks back through the doors.
Basketball bloodlines run deep here, too. Harris’s father, Burt, was a standout at USC in the 1990s, and his older brother JJ currently plays at Loyola Marymount.
Flying Under the Radar
Despite his talent and the family pedigree, Harris has been something of a late riser on the recruiting trail, mostly because he missed his first two high school seasons due to injury. He’s made up for lost time in a hurry.
Playing one of the toughest schedules in the LA area, Harris averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Windward last season. Suiting up for Vegas Elite, Harris often plays in the shadow of five-star teammates DeMarcus Henry and Adan Diggs. However, he still turned heads in the EYBL, the most competitive grassroots circuit in the country.
Beyond SDSU, Harris fielded offers from Stanford, Cal, Boise State, New Mexico, Colorado State, UNLV and Washington State. Beating out multiple Pac-12 and ACC programs to keep a Los Angeles talent close to home is a real recruiting win for the Aztecs, and it’s worth keeping an eye on whether this commitment has any ripple effect on other LA-area targets still on the board. Possible names to keep note of are King Rachal (Notre Dame, Chatsworth) and Mahamadou Diop (San Gabriel Academy).
The Coach’s Take
Windward head coach D.J. Gay didn’t mince words when asked what San Diego State is getting:
“He’s athletically gifted, plays above the rim, a natural scorer, a tough shot maker. When it comes to what San Diego State has built, the grittiness, the big, strong guards, the physicality, the defensive mindset, that’s who he is. He looks like a San Diego State player when you see him.” — D.J. Gay, via Mark Zeigler (SD Union-Tribune).
In his own words, Harris sees it the same way: his game is a perfect match for what San Diego State asks of its perimeter players. The Aztecs’ emphasis on athleticism and defense stood out to him, along with the freedom their players are given on the offensive end.
“He likes to let his guys play. He’s really heavy on athletes and playing hard defense, but also on the offensive end getting freedom. He forces you to play hard on defense. It’s one of their main rules. It’ll be good for me in terms of development, and it already goes to how I play to begin with.”
Scouting Report: What Aztec Fans Can Expect
Basketball IQ: Harris has effectively played both point guard and power forward for his high school team, a testament to his feel for the game. He reads transition and help-side defense well and can finish at the rim with either hand.
Athleticism: A quick first step and a strong handle make him difficult to bump off his line on the drive, and he’s developed into a legitimate tough-shot-maker in tight windows.
Scoring: Harris loves to push the pace and get downhill in transition, but he’s shown real comfort operating in the post and midrange as well. He can knock down threes both off the catch and off the dribble, giving him a versatile scoring profile for a player his age.
Defense: His combination of length and strength, combined with his quickness allow him to guard positions 1 through 3, with active hands both on and off the ball.
Aztec Comparisons: Evaluators have pointed to two recent SDSU standouts as stylistic touchstones — Reese Dixon-Waters, for his ability to hit tough shots in the post and midrange, and JJ O’Brien, for his all-around versatility and physical frame (Harris is already 210 pounds in high school).
It’s still early, but the pieces are already there for another classic Dutcher wing addition: long, skilled, defensively versatile, and built for exactly the identity SDSU has spent years cultivating. Aztec fans will want to keep Harris’ name on their radar.
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