MOSCOW, Idaho — The Idaho Vandal football program saw two of its former players move on to the NFL this weekend.
Defensive back Tommy McCormick signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New York Giants after this weekend’s NFL Draft, and Idaho transfer cornerback Marcus Harris was drafted in the sixth round with the No. 183 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans.
McCormick played five standout seasons for the Vandals. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder received All-Big Sky honors on three occasions and finished his career with 273 total tackles — including nine tackles for loss — seven interceptions and 24 passes defended.
Last season, McCormick was second on the team with 39 solo tackles and 42 assisted tackles, while leading the team with three interceptions and one pick-6.
“When you look up the definition of ‘football player’ in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Tommy,” head coach Thomas Ford said in a release. “He is one of the most instinctual players I’ve ever been around and was always around the football, both in the run game and against the pass. He’ll always be ‘Turnover Tommy’ to me, because if there’s a play to be made, he’s the one coming down with the football. Tommy is someone who is always ready to make a play in the biggest moments, which will give him a great shot to be a good pro!”
Harris played for Idaho for three seasons before transferring to Cal for his senior year. He played for the Vandals from 2021 to 2023 and proved himself to be one of the best defensive backs in the FCS, racking up six interceptions and totaling 154 tackles in his 40 games with the team. In his sophomore campaign, Harris received All-Big Sky honors and was named a Hero Sports Sophomore All-American. He had the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any cornerback in the Big Sky Conference.
The lockdown corner was even better in 2023, when he was named an AP First Team All-American. The Portland, Oregon, native broke Idaho’s career passes defended record and recorded three interceptions to go with 51 tackles.
“I knew Marcus had NFL potential as early as the ’22 season, when he consistently shut down half of the field, including against our two FBS opponents,” Coach Ford said. “He has top-end speed, great instincts, and a true alpha-dog mentality. I actually had a chance to compete against him when he was at Cal in ’24, while I was at Oregon State. Scouting him and playing against him in our game showed me once again that he is a true lockdown corner.”
Following the 2025 NFL Draft, there are now five Vandals currently on NFL rosters: Christian Elliss, New England Patriots; Kaden Elliss, Atlanta Falcons; Hogan Hatten, Detroit Lions.
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