LSU’s Harrison decides to forgo final year of eligibility and turn professional

Six-time NCAA champion and nine-time All-American JuVaughn Harrison of LSU announced Thursday that he would turn professional and bypass his final season of college eligibility.

Harrison made the announcement on his Twitter page.

“I have decided to forgo my last year of eligibility and pursue a professional career in Track and Field. … but I’ll always bleed purple and gold,” Harrison said.

Harrison is currently getting ready for the 2021 Toyko Olympics where he became the first male athlete since Jim Thorpe in 1912 to qualify in the high jump and long jump. The games begin July 23-Aug. 8.

Harrison capped off his collegiate career by scoring 20 points at the 2021 NCAA Championships to lead LSU to its first men’s outdoor team national title since 2002. Not only did he recently sweep the outdoor long jump/high jump NCAA titles, but he did that at the 2021 Indoor NCAA Championships and 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, making him 6-0 in his last six NCAA competitions.

Harrison first made a name himself at the collegiate level during the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, becoming the first man in history to sweep NCAA titles in the long jump and high jump. He repeated the feat, that nobody else in NCAA history had accomplished, twice more in 2021 at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

In addition to his four LSU school records, Harrison owns three all-time top-10 NCAA marks. His personal best high jump outdoors of 7 feet, 8 3/4 inches at the SEC Championships this May is the second best in collegiate history outdoors, his indoor personal best long jump of 27-8 3/4 ranks No. 3 in NCAA history, and his outdoor in collegiate action best long jump of 27-8 1/4 is the sixth best in NCAA history.

He’s one of 10 semifinalists for The Bowerman currently and is a favorite to take home collegiate track and field’s top honor after his performances this year.

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