re: Interesting stuff from the 2018 CFB Preview from Phil Steele

Yeah, Henry had a pitiful freshman season averaging 10.9 ypc. Really easy to bring down - especially in the Sugar Bowl

I’m still salty over that Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma had no answer for Henry but Nussmeir just refused to put the game in his hands.

Harris is a really solid RB. He won’t break long runs or have some dynamic highlight clip but the guy has a motor. I think he wasn’t utilized enough last year and of course he suffered when defenses realized Hurts wasn’t a passing threat.

With the former WR coach now serving as OC, do you think any back will get 30 carries a game?

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I am just trying to follow everything here. Henry was behind TJ Yeldon right? Isn't he the only freshman RB to rush for 1000 yards at Bama (Siran Stacy was a Juco)? He got that thousand splitting witb Eddie Lacy. He was being heralded as possibly the best back we ever had coming out of his sophomore year. Could run, block, and catch out of the backfield and was selected higher in his draft than Henry. When did Yeldon become a bum. Drake was here as a change of pace back at the time.

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You are 100 percent spot on here. Yeldon is another very underappreciated Alabama RB IMO.

Yeah, off the top of my head and not watching the video posted earlier in this thread, I can think of his runs in the Arkansas and A&M games where he broke long TD runs where he outran the defense. Want to say he had one in the Vandy game as well.

He did get caught a lot from behind in 2016, but he shook that knock on him last year.

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You are 100 percent spot on here. Yeldon is another very underappreciated Alabama RB IMO.

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Yeldon also made a number of preseason heisman watch list in 2014. I don't understand the Henry was blocked by lesser and injured player argument at all.

I don't get the long run argument against Harris either, even if you get caught from behind like Harris tended to in 2016 it is still a long run. He has had plenty of long runs the last 2 years.

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To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect.

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From Lindy's anonymous coaching comments a few months back:

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“He changed offensive coordinators and I think that will really help because Mike Locksley is more tuned into running the offense Nick wants… Locksley is an RPO guy. This wil be the job that gets Locksley a head job. The guy is sharp…

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https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/alabama-football/alabama-football-anonymous-coaches-comments-2018-jalen-hurts-tua-athlon-lindys/

The older, veteran players at nearly every position are trusted because they don't make as many mental mistakes, usually hold on to the ball well, don't miss reads, etc. Its not some mis-placed loyalty thing. Saban has cultivated a system that puts out great running backs annually and its largely because he doesn't uses the rb by committee system. Keeps the backs fresh and their carry count low.

Henry IMO got too many touches his senior year because we were thin at the position. "Bursting onto the national scene" doesn't matter - winning games and championships matter.

To say nothing of Alvin Kamara - what does this have to do with anything? Saban doesn't makes excuses for talented players because the whole process is predicated on people buying in and doing what is best for the team. If a super talented player doesn't make the field it is because that was what is best for the team and program moving forward.


ETA: Najee may very well be the "better" rb, but he is a second year player and Harris is a fourth year, experienced RB who is an incredibly efficient runner. I'd imagine the carry split to be about even for them. With the other guys getting in to spell them with fresh legs and maybe 3rd down work or something like that.

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The older, veteran players at nearly every position are trusted because they don't make as many mental mistakes, usually hold on to the ball well, don't miss reads, etc. Its not some mis-placed loyalty thing.

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So very true.

A RBs playing time at Alabama is frequently more about how well he plays without the ball, not with it. But a large percentage of any football fanbase is oblivious to seeing or trying to see the game at this level. If you watch football and only watch the ball, you're really missing out on a large part of what makes this sport so great - it's like ultra-violent chess with live, absolutely jacked pieces.

D. Harris is underrated. He reminds me some of Ken Darby who was a very good back during the dark Shula years. His numbers would have been outstanding with the players we have now. The knock against Harris is he doesn't really have the "wow" factor that backs like Ingram, Richardson, Lacy, Henry and others had. He's not that big back you can give the ball to 25 times a game when the offense bogs down and trust him to grind out 150 yards and 2-3 TD's. But combined with our other backs, it's a lethal combo. I wouldn't trade our RB stable for any in the nation.