It’s not a stretch to label Alabama as “Running Back University” since Nick Saban’s arrival in 2007.

The Crimson Tide pump out a stream of NFL-ready ball-carriers. This season, Alabama boasts another pair of capable backs in Derrick Henry (who nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in 2014) and Kenyan Drake (back from a broken leg that ended his ’14 season early).

A “buddy system” of sorts has come to define Bama’s backfields in the Saban tenure, and this year looks similar with the bulldozing Henry and dynamic Drake.

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But the Tide doesn’t have an abundance of depth. Tyren Jones was dismissed from the team and Altee Tenpenny transferred out. Local Tuscaloosa product Bo Scarbrough generated excitement, but tore his ACL in the spring.

As you can see in the table below, the No. 3 running back has gotten some work in each of the last five seasons with mop-up duty in blowouts or offering fresh legs in relief of the co-stars. Often those players have used the opportunity as a springboard for more playing time and stardom in future seasons.

Player (Year) Carries Yards Touchdowns
Tyren Jones (2014) 36 224 2
Derrick Henry (2013) 36 382 3
Kenyan Drake (2012) 42 281 5
Jalston Fowler (2011) 56 385 4
Eddie Lacy (2010) 56 406 6

Saban likely will give at least a few carries to somebody with virtually no college experience. But it doesn’t mean there’s a lack of talent.

Freshman Damien Harris, the top running back recruit in his class according to Rivals.com, may get an early opportunity to show what he can do.

Harris was dominant, rushing for 110 yards on 16 carries in the Under Armour All-American Game. He also rushed for more than 6,700 yards in his career at Madison Southern High School in Berea, Ky., despite missing half his senior year due to injury.

Harris has an array of shifty moves to go along with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash. At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, he’s a little smaller than Alabama’s typical work horses. But with some time in a college strength and conditioning program it might not be long before he starts to remind Crimson Tide fans of Lacy.

Harris didn’t enroll early, so he’ll take the field with Alabama in an official capacity for the first time on Thursday.

Xavian Marks might also be a candidate to fill that role. Marks recently joined the Alabama roster along with his brother Torin. A two-sport star, he’s expected to run track at Alabama along with cornerbacks Tony Brown, Marlon Humphrey and Bradley Sylve, so he brings a ton of speed. As a three-star football recruit, he originally signed with New Mexico State, so it could be a stretch to immediately expect big things at the SEC level.

Redshirt freshman Ronnie Clark initially worked as a defensive back last season before an injury in October. With the sudden depth issues, Clark is now a running back. The former Under Armour All-American excelled at the position in high school, gaining more than 1,100 all-purpose yards as a sophomore before shifting his focus to defense.

History has shown us that at least one of these backs will get somewhere between 30 and 60 carries, even if Henry and Drake stay healthy. Alabama needs a plan in case one of those players misses even one game this season — a likely scenario, given the position and conference in which they play.

The team has a slew of touted running backs in the pipleline, with a trio of commitments from national top 5 players at the position in the ’16 and ’17 recruiting classes.

Harris is the most likely candidate to serve as the team’s No. 3 running back, at least initially. We should know more by the Sept. 5 kickoff against Wisconsin, but Scarbrough could return at some point this fall as well.