Rival Views: Will Harris or Akers be the better college player?
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate which running back, Najee Harris or Cam Akers, will have a better college career.
FARRELL'S VIEW: CAM AKERS
Even though Najee Harris got the vote to stay at No. 1 overall in our final 2017 rankings, I’ve already written that Cam Akers is the safer bet to have a better career in college.
Why? While Harris has a rare combination of size, elusiveness, speed and pass-catching ability, he’s heading clear across the country to Alabama and into a crowded running back group.
Not only does he have Brian Robinson, a heck of a running back in his own right, with him in this 2017 class, but he’ll be battling veterans Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris, who were five stars out of high school, and young players like B.J. Emmons and Joshua Jacobs as well. Not to mention he’s going into an offense with a running quarterback who ran for nearly 1,000 yards last season as a true freshman.
At Florida State, Akers will be competing with another five-star in Khalan Laborn immediately and a former five-star in Jacques Patrick, but the path to stardom is clearer. Akers does have some questions to answer -- mainly how will he adapt moving from quarterback to running back -- but he has the speed, power and willingness to run between the tackles to be the next Dalvin Cook at FSU.
It’s a close call between the two of them, and that’s why they are No. 1 and No. 3 overall in the country. But while Harris has the higher ceiling and could be a once-in-a-decade talent, Akers has a better chance from day one to have a better career. I could see Harris getting impatient and transferring a la quarterback Blake Barnett and not waiting his turn like Derrick Henry, but I don’t see that in Akers, who won’t be going as far away from home. Both are elite talents, but Akers will have the better career in the end because he has fewer hurdles to overcome.
GORNEY'S VIEW: NAJEE HARRIS
I’ve watched Harris closely for at least the last two years, and I’m confident that he’s a special running back who has the chance to be phenomenal in Alabama’s offense before heading off to the NFL.
Harris is one of the best-looking running backs in recent memory. He reminds me of a bigger, more physical Todd Gurley at the same stage. Harris is dynamic since he can run between the tackles and make people miss on the outside, and he’s a special pass-catcher out of the backfield as well.
I will admit he did not perform well in the Army All-American Bowl, but he looked good all week in practice, and that was one big reason why we kept him No. 1 overall in the final rankings release.
I’ve seen him be unstoppable. He is tough to tackle, isn’t afraid of contact – he actually bounces off most tacklers – and is surprisingly slippery for someone his size.
A lot of people compare him to Derrick Henry, but I think Harris is much more agile and fast, and that’s why I like to say he’s a bigger Gurley.
This is no criticism of Cam Akers, by any means. He could really excel at Florida State and follow in the footsteps of Dalvin Cook there. But Harris might be a one-of-a-kind back who really thrives behind an exceptional offensive line in Tuscaloosa.
The debate will continue between Harris and Akers for years. It should be really fun to watch.
