Alabama football: Najee Harris sits atop Nick Saban’s all-time backfield

Among all the fantastic running backs in Alabama football history and in the Nick Saban era, Najee Harris finishes at the top in every major category.

When Nick Saban first arrived in Tuscaloosa, he boasted stout defenses and a punishing rushing attack complimented by a game manager at quarterback. The times have changed dramatically, as Saban and the Alabama football program went fully into spread attack mode a few years ago, bringing about a new age of success, while leaving the previously dominant elements of their game behind.

The passing game received most of the attention this year and deservedly so, with the deadly efficiency of quarterback Mac Jones and the playmaking ability of Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. They stole all the attention in Bama’s 52-24 national title drubbing of Ohio State last week.

Still, the running game never properly got the respect it so deserved. Senior running back Najee Harris kept breaking Crimson Tide running back records, while racking up ridiculous numbers on the ground and through the air.

In prior seasons when Bama won the title behind its bruising backfield, there’s no doubt he would’ve been lauded for numbers like this: 1,466 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns, 5.8 yards per carry, 43 catches, 425 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

And even though he didn’t get the thunderous applause of a Derrick Henry or Mark Ingram Heisman season, his tremendous 2020campaign helped him conquer every major career running back record at Alabama.

Before someone calls this article out, I am by no means saying that Harris was a better college back than either of those two players, because the game and styles are so different, even from 5-10 years ago. The point is, is that Harris managed to topple program records left by all-pro talents.

He leaves the Crimson Tide with four all-time records: 3,843 rushing yards, 46 rushing touchdowns, 4,624 yards from scrimmage and 57 total touchdowns. A program that features a deep list of talented backs, 11 of which made it to the NFL under Saban’s tutelage, and Harris has them all beat.

Maybe the most impressive part, is that he did it at a time when the offense wasn’t so predicated on the running game. The running game didn’t get the same amount of carries in years that featured Henry, TJ Yeldon, Kenyan Drake, Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson, Ingram or Glenn Coffee.

Sure, the argument of a more balanced offense opened up more holes for him, is there. The explosive-while-still-efficient passing attack didn’t allow defenses to load the box, like it did when the offense ran the ball nearly 60 percent of the time in the late 2000s and early 2010s. However, no other back made the same impact through the passing game the way he did either.

Not to mention, he shared carries like all those previous guys did too. He wasn’t getting every touch. His backup Brian Robinson carried the ball 91 times for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns. His career deserves to be talked about with the other top backs for the Tide. Even though he wasn’t even a Heisman finalist in his illustrious career, he’s right there at the top.