Alabama Football: Three Important Alabama Players in showdown with LSU
By Ronald Moody
Scouting Report. Running Back. Alabama. Najee Harris. player. 829. Pick Analysis. 3.
Lining up, hat on a hat, and being able to run the ball down your throat is a well known Saban principle. Thanks to the potent play of Tua Tagovailoa and his merry band of receivers, the running game took a back seat the past two seasons.
Fans forget Najee Harris came to the Crimson Tide as the top high school running back in the nation. They forget how critical Harris’ instrumental runs in the 2018 College Football Playoff Championship led to a historic comeback.
In the last five games, the junior running back scampered for 486 yards, a 6.3 yards per carry average, and four touchdowns, including three 100 yard games. Displaying his great hands as a receiver, Harris has 16 catches and four more scores, including this highlight catch and run against South Carolina.
Whether the Crimson Tide needs tough yards in the red zone or on a third and one, an angry running Harris will deliver. Ranked second in the nation behind Ohio State on third-down conversions, Alabama stands at 55 percent. If Najee cannot deliver against a stiff LSU defense, Alabama could be in trouble as it forces a wobbled Tua to make plays.
Harris has always run harder when the lights are at its brightest, expect him to shoulder the load, and control the game.