Alabama Football: Christian Harris and his place in the Tide ILB roster

Alabama football needs more help at inside linebacker. Summer enrollee Christian Harris has the physical attributes needed at the position. Can he be a factor in 2019?

Alabama football head coach, Nick Saban and the entire Crimson Tide defensive staff are looking to summer enrollees for help. Later arriving freshmen can work their way into the two-deep on the defensive line, at safety and most importantly, at inside linebacker.

None of the positions is quite as easy for true freshmen as running back and wide receiver. Not to say the transition from high school player to college player is easy at any position. From a mental standpoint, the hardest positions for freshmen to quickly learn are anywhere in the secondary and at inside linebacker.

At those positions, high school players greatly benefit from an opportunity to early enroll. Soon to be, new University of Alabama enrollee, Christian Harris did not go the early enroll route. Until fall camp begins in August, the most important work for Harris will be video sessions. Harris is starting at square one. Having nothing to do with his summer arrival, Harris is behind schedule to be a Crimson Tide linebacker. He has never played the position.

Christian Harris was a wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner at the University Lab School. Yes, that University Lab school that sits two miles from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Harris was a priority recruit for Ed Orgeron but his initial LSU offer was as an offensive player.

Harris has the physical attributes for all three positions. Check out his high school highlights below.

Harris played at 225 pounds as a high school senior. His speed was impressive enough, playing on either side of the ball was feasible in college. Christian decided his football future was brighter on defense and more specifically at linebacker. He is expected to arrive in Tuscaloosa at around 240 pounds.

LSU defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda went all-in on a Harris move to linebacker. Aranda and Coach O fought hard to sign Christian. The Baton Rouge connection proved to not help enough, as it had not before when the Tide signed Dylan Moses and Chris Allen.

Christian committed to Texas A&M in August 2018. Alabama football kept recruiting Christian. After an Iron Bowl weekend visit, Harris flipped from the Aggies to the Crimson Tide.

One of the main reasons cited by Christian for choosing the Crimson Tide was preparation for life after football. He has plenty of football in front of him before that. Check out his comments about starting work this summer.

Not that matters any longer, but Christian Harris said a couple of months after his high school season ended, “I’m from Baton Rouge and I’ve always been an LSU fan.” All that will have been cast aside by the time the Bengal Tigers come to Tuscaloosa in November.