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Michigan DC breaks down Najee Harris, who he tried to sway away from Alabama during recruitment
By Jake Rill
Published:
When Najee Harris was a senior in high school in Antioch, Calif., he had two final college choices — Alabama and Michigan.
Harris was committed to the Crimson Tide for nearly two years, but the Wolverines made a push to land the running back ahead of National Signing Day in 2017. However, their efforts didn’t work, as Harris opted to stick with Alabama and headed there to begin his college career.
Now, Harris is in his third season with the Crimson Tide, and it’s been his best year yet. He has 1,088 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, along with 27 receptions for 304 yards and seven touchdowns, all of which are career highs.
On Wednesday, Alabama is facing Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, marking the first time that Harris will face the school that tried to sway him away from the Crimson Tide.
Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown was one of the coaches that recruited Harris three years ago, and he gave his thoughts on the running back while meeting with the media on Sunday.
“He’s probably the best jump cut guy I’ve seen,” Brown told the media. “You know, in meeting him, when he was a senior in high school, to see his development physically, he’s certainly taken his physicality to a different level. But the thing that I’m most impressed with is his ability to change direction and jump cut and be in the strong side ‘A’ gap, end up in the backside ‘B’ gap, or vice versa.
“So a good back, a guy that we’re going to have to tackle, for sure. You’re not going to be able to one‑arm, whip him down on the ground. He’s not one of those type of guys. He’s kind of a throwback because of his size and strength.”
Alabama and Michigan are set to kick off on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
