Alabama Football: Is the juice worth the squeeze for Najee Harris?

Is the risk of playing Alabama football worth the reward for Najee Harris?

College football is a grind for every team. However, it is even tougher for Alabama football. Add in the uncertainty of the 2020 season and the dangers of a global pandemic, and you have a long list of reasons why players are considering opting out. For the Crimson Tide, Najee Harris is at the top of the list of players with a big decision to make. At the very least, he should consider sitting out for the year.

There have been no rumors about Najee Harris opting out, but the facts remain. He will likely be one of the three best running backs in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has plenty of quality tape for scouts to look at. He also has the perfect amount of tread left on the tires. Wearing himself down for a season might hurt his draft stock in the long run. We saw that with Derrick Henry after his Heisman-winning season.

All of this could have been factored into last year’s draft. The key difference maker is obviously the uncertainty of a 2020 season. In all likelihood, Najee Harris came back for one reason only. He wants to be a leader on a national championship team. He has nothing else to prove for NFL scouts. If he has little faith that the college football season will be completed, is it worth risking his body for just a few games?

Is the juice worth the squeeze for Alabama football’s Najee Harris?

As of right now, the answer to this question for Najee appears to be yes. Even if you can logically explain why he shouldn’t risk another season with Alabama football, he came back for a reason. Even with the added risk and uncertainty, it appears that he wants to run it back with his Crimson Tide brothers.

However, he is reaching the point of limited returns on his NFL Draft stock. Running backs have a ceiling unless they are gamebreaking talents. Najee Harris might be drafted in the first round, but playing a full season won’t cement that. It will just depend on the value of running backs at the end of this NFL season.

Najee Harris can justify coming back to compete for a national championship. He can do it to contend for the Heisman. Heck, he might just want to play football because he loves the game at any level. All of these are legitimate reasons to return, and they appear to be how he is basing his decision. However, he cannot logically say he is doing it for his NFL future. He would gain just as much positioning by sitting out for this college football season.

Want more Alabama football articles? Check out Bama Hammer for nuanced opinions and expert analysis on all things relating to the Crimson Tide.