Ramifications of Damien Harris to Alabama
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Bolting from the Bluegrass[/caption]
Ramification /n./ : a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome. Today, the arduous recruitment of Damien Harris came to a close as the highly touted running back decided to take his talents to Tuscaloosa. It's a good fit for the running back and hopefully we see the Kentucky product have great success on and off the field. As that chapter closes on Kentucky football some loose ends tie up while new questions unravel. Harris' decision is one with ramifications for both now and the future. Among them are:
No finding a fit for Harris
When you have a chance to land the number one running back in the nation, one that's just 30 miles down the road no less, you push all in to get him. That's what Stoops did as head coach and it showed how far he has brought the program just to be on the table with Alabama and Ohio State. However, the biggest question mark for Harris and Kentucky was always where he would fit into the Air Raid offense.
Back in September, Harris came on KSR and said he wanted to play in "a pro style, traditional offense". If he came to Kentucky he would need to "adjust to playing as a spread running back". Deciding to play in Lexington would have meant an adjustment for Damien and presumably an adjustment from Shannon Dawson to use Damien's ability in his offense. It would have been a good problem to have but now an issue this staff will not have to face.
The running back duties will remain with the speedy Boom Williams, Braylon Heard, Mikel Horton, and Jojo Kemp in Dawson's offense that rushed for 182 yards per game. Harris could have added some major power to the group but the group is still pretty solid.
Controlling the Border.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="350"]
Will Baker rejoin the fold in 2015?[/caption]
Since Stoops arrived in Lexington he has done an excellent job of locking down in-state kids. In his first months on the job he secured Jason Hatcher and Ryan Timmons, two guys expected to play a major role next season. In year two he kept Drew Barker and Matt Elam within the Commonwealth. Damien Harris marks the first miss the staff has had within the state since they arrived on campus 3 years ago. If Harris goes on to Tuscaloosa and has major success will that encourage other local kids coming up to do the same?
With the junior class of Drake Jackson, Landon Young, Davonte Robinson, and Zy'Aire Hughes already committed and Quinton Baker a strong UK lean, Stoops still has the state held down. Hopefully Harris proves to be the exception instead of starting a trend.
Finishing the class...
What surprises now lie ahead before signing day on February 4th. The Cats are currently ranked 29th according to 247's team ratings with just 17 commitments. Will they finish with big-time pickups like Marcus Lewis or Ryan Davis? Will they now search for a running back to add to the class in order to fill the void Harris has now opened in the class? Some interesting storylines remain with just under a month remaining to land commitments.
The state of Kentucky produces a talent like Harris about once a decade. So it sucks to miss out on him but you can't blame the kid. During the entire process Harris was awesome hanging out in the student section, tweeting, and keeping the BBN buzzing about football during January. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
Bolting from the Bluegrass[/caption]
Ramification /n./ : a consequence of an action or event, especially when complex or unwelcome. Today, the arduous recruitment of Damien Harris came to a close as the highly touted running back decided to take his talents to Tuscaloosa. It's a good fit for the running back and hopefully we see the Kentucky product have great success on and off the field. As that chapter closes on Kentucky football some loose ends tie up while new questions unravel. Harris' decision is one with ramifications for both now and the future. Among them are:
No finding a fit for Harris
When you have a chance to land the number one running back in the nation, one that's just 30 miles down the road no less, you push all in to get him. That's what Stoops did as head coach and it showed how far he has brought the program just to be on the table with Alabama and Ohio State. However, the biggest question mark for Harris and Kentucky was always where he would fit into the Air Raid offense.
Back in September, Harris came on KSR and said he wanted to play in "a pro style, traditional offense". If he came to Kentucky he would need to "adjust to playing as a spread running back". Deciding to play in Lexington would have meant an adjustment for Damien and presumably an adjustment from Shannon Dawson to use Damien's ability in his offense. It would have been a good problem to have but now an issue this staff will not have to face.
The running back duties will remain with the speedy Boom Williams, Braylon Heard, Mikel Horton, and Jojo Kemp in Dawson's offense that rushed for 182 yards per game. Harris could have added some major power to the group but the group is still pretty solid.
Controlling the Border.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="350"] Will Baker rejoin the fold in 2015?[/caption]
Since Stoops arrived in Lexington he has done an excellent job of locking down in-state kids. In his first months on the job he secured Jason Hatcher and Ryan Timmons, two guys expected to play a major role next season. In year two he kept Drew Barker and Matt Elam within the Commonwealth. Damien Harris marks the first miss the staff has had within the state since they arrived on campus 3 years ago. If Harris goes on to Tuscaloosa and has major success will that encourage other local kids coming up to do the same?
With the junior class of Drake Jackson, Landon Young, Davonte Robinson, and Zy'Aire Hughes already committed and Quinton Baker a strong UK lean, Stoops still has the state held down. Hopefully Harris proves to be the exception instead of starting a trend.
Finishing the class...
What surprises now lie ahead before signing day on February 4th. The Cats are currently ranked 29th according to 247's team ratings with just 17 commitments. Will they finish with big-time pickups like Marcus Lewis or Ryan Davis? Will they now search for a running back to add to the class in order to fill the void Harris has now opened in the class? Some interesting storylines remain with just under a month remaining to land commitments.
The state of Kentucky produces a talent like Harris about once a decade. So it sucks to miss out on him but you can't blame the kid. During the entire process Harris was awesome hanging out in the student section, tweeting, and keeping the BBN buzzing about football during January. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
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