His ascent from off-the-radar signee to SEC star went quickly. His explosion off the line, his spin move -- all done at a speed that demands double teams.

Charles Harris hasn’t had to wait long for college stardom. But on Wednesday, as Missouri’s contingent headed to Hoover, Ala., for SEC Media Days, the redshirt junior had to delay the plane’s take-off.

He had to catch a Pokemon, according to head coach Barry Odom.

“I’ve got like 12 now,” Harris said, talking about the mobile app that’s taken the nation by storm. “Best place I found them? I had like three in my bedroom.”

Wednesday -- that was Harris’ formal introduction to the SEC Media as the Next Great Missouri Defensive Lineman. Sure, his 18.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks a year ago merited second-team conference honors, but now he’s viewed as one of the best in a conference loaded with defensive end talent. All four first-team preseason selections on the defensive line were ends; Harris was voted to the second-team. Conceivably, the SEC could have a chance to have at least five defensive ends selected in the first round of next year’s draft.

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Because while Charles Harris has rushed his way to the doorstep of stardom, his journey has been a mixture of patience and pressure.

His announcement as a signee in the 2013 recruitment took everyone off-guard. No one had heard of Harris, a raw athlete out of Lincoln Prep in Kansas City. His scholarship offer didn’t materialize until the day before; if not for Missouri, he’d likely end up at Missouri Western.

He remembers that uncertainty most from that time period.

“Really, the possibility of not coming, and getting my hopes up,” Harris said. “When they told me there was the possibility of me having a scholarship, with that -- just that unsteadiness of whether or not I’d actually be able to go. I went on a trip, camped there, just me, and that could have all been for nothing. That was really the height of the moment, the climax of that moment.”

It’s almost unfathomable that Harris was so unknown, and has blossomed into a star. Missouri made a living under Gary Pinkel and Craig Kuligowski of turning under-the-radar athletes in defensive line stars. Michael Sam was a two-star; Markus Golden a low-ranked three-star. Harold Brantley was a two-star, but he was long committed to Syracuse and on the Power-5 radar early.

But Harris is different. Those guys were identified early and recruited hard; Harris was a last-ditch attempt to add depth.

His spot only opened because another commitment, Dimarya Mixon, switched to Nebraska in late January. Mixon, coincidentally, is now at SEC East rival Tennessee.

How far he’s come.

“I don’t really think about it too hard,” Harris said. “I may do that at night, but it’s just something -- it’s just the next day, for real. Yeah, I don’t really think about it, to be honest.”

That’s for later. First up is a season where he’s the unquestioned star on Missouri’s talent-laden defense, the next in a line of exceptional Missouri defensive linemen.

“University of Missouri has got a long run of great defensive linemen,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said, “and it started with Justin Smith back when he and I were teammates, and then Larry Smith coached him and then moved into Coach Pinkel, and every year it kind of continues to progress.

“And Charles is one of the next great ones, in my opinion. If you come and watch us practice on Tuesday afternoon, it looks like it’s game day and it’s fourth-and-one. I think that sets him apart. He’s got an inner drive and demeanor that he wants to be the best.”

Harris’ offseason couldn’t have started off in a more chaotic fashion. Gary Pinkel’s departure led to defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski accepting a job in the same capacity at Miami. Odom had quickly hired Chris Wilson as his defensive line coach, but then he bolted for the Philadelphia Eagles after barely a month on the job, yet after the early-entry deadline for the NFL Draft.

Jackie Shipp’s hire was announced the day before National Signing Day, but even in that period of confusion, Harris said he didn’t seriously consider the draft.

“I didn’t really look at it too hard, too much in depth, because of Harold Brantley,” Harris said. “I wanted to play another season with him. I’m going to play another season with him. That’s my brother. I love him. That’s something I really wanted to do, I want to play on the field with him.

“I feel like us two, together, with everyone else, can really dominate. So it’s not something I looked too hard into, even though I knew the possibility was there.”

Brantley was Charles Harris before Charles Harris was Charles Harris. He had his 2015 season wiped out after a serious one-car accident in June 2015. Now, Brantley’s potential return -- he’s up to 270 pounds, said Odom -- is another reminder of the riches that occupy Missouri’s deep defensive line.

Led, of course, by Charles Harris.

“He also realizes that, as all those guys do up front,” Odom said, “they’ve got a tremendous responsibility on trying to carry that torch on the guys that were playing the position before him and that means a lot to him.”

Harris had to have patience this offseason, after undergoing two planned shoulder surgeries to repair labrum injuries in both arms. After the second surgery -- which ended his spring season early -- Harris said he was back working out the next week.

Now, he’s 100-percent with no lingering issues.

“Nothing will hold me back, nothing will hold me down from having a great season,” Harris said.

He’s also aware of the legacy he’s following, both at Missouri and in the SEC. Harris isn’t afraid to turn his rivals into friends. He said he’s developed a relationship with Derek Barnett of Tennessee.

“We have a lot of conversations in regards to the things they do down there,” Harris said. “Some things we do up here, so we can kind of tweak and take off from each other’s game.

“It doesn’t matter what player you are in the SEC. I respect everyone’s game. I feel like, if you really are a great player in general, I’m going to watch you. I feel like that’s how you become a student of the game, and you stay a student of the game. You can’t beat the game. Game’s always gonna be better than you.”

Harris is a goal-oriented guy. He said he’ll sit down and make specific goals mid-way through preseason camp, but even now, he has a check list.

“I’m looking to make this year my last year, for the most part,” Harris said. “But I want to break records. I want to make sure I play with Harold, I want to make sure I leave a great name. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll see.”

Harris made sure to end with that qualifier. But after his quick journey from unknown to unstoppable, no one is doubting that Harris will reach all of his goals.