TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– He does not see next year’s group as an elite team yet, but Alabama head coach Nick Saban is excited about one player in particular on offense going into the upcoming fall.
During a post-spring teleconference for Southeastern Conference coaches on Monday, a couple of reporters approached the Crimson Tide’s front man for his thoughts on true freshman running back Najee Harris.
Saban said the five-star prospect is going to be “a really, really good player.”
“Najee had a great spring,” he said. “His experience in the spring will be beneficial to him. When he has the ball in his hands, he’s a pretty effective player.”
Tide fans witnessed Harris’ potential first hand on A-Day, as the California native led all backs in rushing with 70 yards on 17 carries – including a marquee run of 19 yards. He displayed a couple of spin moves and even hurdled over a defender, despite team White losing 27-24 to Crimson at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
https://twitter.com/BamaVideo_/status/855870199999889408
Before signing in Alabama’s 2017 recruiting class, Harris was the No. 1 overall prospect in the county according to both Rivals and Scout recruiting networks. He turned in 7,948 career rushing yards at Antioch High School, the fourth-most in California high school history. Harris totaled 95 rushing touchdowns during his tenure, with 36 occurring in his senior year. Following a year in which he collected 2,776 yards and 36 scores in 2015, Harris earned the Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Football State Player of the Year. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds, the freshman phenom has the speed, vision, footwork and ball handling skills to generate a major impact.
Even with having Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, Josh Jacobs and B.J. Emmons all returning, it will be difficult keeping a stud like Najee Harris off the field. Saban stressed multiple times on why Alabama needed to recruit more “explosive” players, but now he has signed one in Harris.
Stephen M. Smith is a managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
