TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before. A sophomore will look to compete with a returning starter for reps on Alabama’s offense. This sophomore excelled in the second half of the national championship game to help spur Alabama to a comeback win over Georgia and clinch a 17th national title for the Crimson Tide.
Sound familiar?
This isn’t another quarterback story, but it’s a topic that will have just as much impact on Alabama’s offense. The Crimson Tide once again returns one of the most loaded backfields in the nation as starter Damien Harris is joined by sophomores Najee Harris and Brian Robinson as well as junior Josh Jacobs.
That foursome accounted for 1,819 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground last season and features as much combined talent as any unit in the nation. Damien Harris leads the group as he looks to become the first Alabama running back to rush for 1,000 or more yards in three straight seasons. However, for the seldom-satisfied Alabama fanbase, there is a tendency to gravitate toward the latest new weapon. Right now, that’s 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore Najee Harris.
After coming to Alabama as the No. 1 overall player in the 2018 class, it can be argued that Najee Harris didn’t quite live up to his high billing during his freshman year. He finished fourth on the team with 370 rushing yards and three touchdowns while tallying just 61 carries.
However, there were times when his five-star talent was unmistakable. None more so than in the national championship game when he came on in the fourth quarter to lead Alabama with 65 yards on six carries.
Alabama’s hoping that performance was the prelude to a breakout season this year.
