Kevin Harris looks very much the same running back with the New England Patriots that he did for years as the workhorse back for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

And early in the third quarter of the first preseason game on Thursday night, Harris scored from 3 yards out for his first touchdown as an NFL player.

Harris was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round (183rd overall) of the spring NFL Draft.

Harris battled injuries last season, but in 2020, he led the SEC in rushing and was an All-SEC selection.

Harris finished his career with 1,976 rushing yards, which is 18th on the school’s all-time list. Harris also scored 23 career touchdowns, which tied for seventh on the school’s all-time list.

Much of his production came in that 2020 season when he rushed for 1,138 yards, and in his career, Harris collected 8 100-yard rushing games, including a pair of 200-yard efforts, which came against Ole Miss and Kentucky.

He’s one of only 2 Gamecocks, along with Mike Davis, to own 2 carries of 75 yards or longer.

The soft-spoken Harris looks to fit the bill as a classic Patriot, so his career will be interesting to watch.