One of the greatest college football running backs and entertainers decided to put lofty praise onto a rising senior at the University of Alabama. Reggie Bush captivated fans at the University of Southern California and though he voluntary gave back his 2005 Heisman Trophy (NCAA sanctions), people still knew who was the most dominate player in the sport.
As a college football analyst for Fox Sports, Bush unveiled his top five backs going into this season and Najee Harris was No. 1. The California native and former five-star in the 2017 signing class is coming off his first career 1,000-yard campaign.
After a slow start, Harris propelled himself to six 100-yard rushing games – including four versus Southeastern Conference opponents. He totaled 146 yards rushing each against LSU and Auburn, while his performance of 136 yards and two touchdowns versus Michigan pushed the Crimson Tide to a 35-16 victory in the Citrus Bowl. He ended the season with 1,224 yards rushing with 13 scores and caught 27 passes with seven for touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder is eyeing not only a second 1,000-yard year, but also secure first-round pick status.
According to Bush, Harris is a ‘more athletic’ version of Derrick Henry.
A “more athletic Derrick Henry” ??@ReggieBush puts @alabamaftbl‘s @ohthatsNajee22 at No. 1 on his list of top Running Backs and shows some love to @__JP26, too pic.twitter.com/wlKaK6YdEi
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) June 10, 2020
“Najee Harris is the most complete running back out of all the backs we’ve just listed,” Bush said via Fox College Football. “He is shifty, which I did not realize. You see him muscling guys, jumping over people. This dude is 230 pounds. He’s as big as any starting middle linebacker in the NFL right now, and he is doing this in the SEC. He is a grown man playing in a big boy conference and he is seeing tough defensive linemen every week, tough defensive coordinators every week and I think he has a tremendous opportunity in front of him.”
With Alabama’s coaching staff and the talent around Harris, Bush feels the young man is more than capable of winning the Heisman Trophy.
“They [Alabama] love to run the football and he fits perfectly into their style,” Bush said.
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In 2015, Henry style of pounding defensive players and carrying the Tide on his back led to an Alabama and SEC-record 2,219 yards rushing.
The native Floridian ended the year as the Heisman winner, SEC Championship and College Football Playoff National Champion with a host of other individual accolades. Harris looks forward to recording massive stats in the fall.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
