Damien Harris chooses the Alabama Crimson Tide

For the second year in a row, Mark Stoops and Nick Saban went head to head for a key football recruit hailing from the state of Kentucky.  Last year, Mark Stoops won the battle and landed coveted recruit Matt Elam.  Nick Saban evened the score this year and snagged a commitment from the top running back in the country, Damien Harris.

For months, Kentucky was perceived as the leader for Damien Harris as Mark Stoops got involved after Harris decommitted from Michigan.  There was a buzz that Harris would commit to Kentucky in December, but Harris pushed his decision date back to today.  The Tide turned for Alabama in the past couple of weeks during the Under Armour game when Harris apparently bonded with all of the Alabama commits in the game.  The decision by TJ Yelden to turn pro ,ay have solidified the decision for Damien Harris.

In the end, Alabama gets a five-star recruit Per Rivals who had him as the #11 player in the class.  ESPN has him as a four star recruit and the #31 player overall while 247Sports has him a four star as well and the #60 best player.  Scout also has him as a four star and #53 overall.

Here is a look at what Alabama  is getting in Damien Harris and  a look at his ESPN scouting evaluation.

"OVERALL TRAITSSize-Strength-SpeedStrong, sturdy, well-built runner with a lower center of gravity. Has college ready, compact body structure at the position. Shows very good running strength and durability. Has great top-end speed and the ability to switch on a homerun second gear and separate.Vision/PatienceDisplays very good vision, both in-line to find the cutback and outside to bounce the stretch play. Shows good patience in letting his blocks set up and finding the opening daylight. This is a back who looks to get North and find the downhill crease without a lot of wasted cuts.Agility/AccelerationNot overly sudden in his movements but flashes natural burst and explosiveness to get through a tight crease or to get the corner on outside runs and go. Quick feet and very good lateral agility and body control. Can jump-cut effectively and make defenders miss in small areas; elusive in the open field as well not gearing down much to cut.Power/BalanceStrong, well-balanced runner who gets low behind his pads and is very difficult to knock off his feet. Not a high-knee action back who powers and drives through first and second contact but does not give defenders a clean shot and can break arm tackles and bounce off contact when he gains momentum.Bottom LineHarris is one of the more complete and well-rounded backs in this class. He has shown strong load-carrier production along with a game-breaker speed element. Has a college ready decisive style that should make him a very coveted national prospect. Only question mark is his current level of competition.Underclassman EvalSTRENGTHS: Strong, balanced runner with quick feet and well-rounded skill-set. Flashes very good top-end speed and upper and lower body strength. Displays good vision finding the hole and the ability to get through tight creases for big gainers. Possesses the lateral stretch ability and edge speed to get outside and move the chains. Good hands out of the backfield …AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Not overly powerful at this stage. Lacks the ability to consistently break tackles and produce strong yards after contact. Elusiveness and suddenness are not elite. We question his current level of competition but he does dominate it. …BOTTOM LINE: Harris is an explosive player with natural feet and vision. Has good size and will only get stronger as a downhill runner with time. Big-play skill set that should make him a coveted prospect."