CFB notebook: RB Harris considered leaving Alabama

Running back Najee Harris, who went to Alabama as one of the top running backs in the Class of 2017, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he considered transferring after his freshman year. The 6-foot-2, 227-pounder out of Antioch (Calif.) High School said he is sticking around because he believes the Crimson Tide offer him the best path to the NFL. "The only thing I can tell you is, I hope I'm on the field more," Harris said. "Last year was the worst feeling. That whole season was mentally challenging. " ... I'm so determined. I can't have fun unless I achieve my goals, or else I'll be thinking about that the whole time." Harris finished last season with only 61 carries for 370 yards, fourth on the team in both categories. After the season, Harris met with then-running backs coach Burton Burns and had two one-on-one conversations with Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Saban told Harris that he must polish his pass-blocking skills, but also said: "You're going to play a lot this year." Interestingly, quarterback Tua Tagavailova also considered leaving Alabama, but then both freshmen wound up playing key roles as the Crimson Tide rallied in the second half to beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime in the CFP national championship game. While Tagavailova got most of the credit after replacing starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and throwing three touchdown passes, Harris had six carries for 64 yards, including runs of 16, 35 and 11 yards. However, playing time still might not come easy for Harris, who is in a crowded backfield that includes senior Damien Harris and junior Josh Jacobs. -- Baylor University officials responded in court filings that former athletic director Ian McCaw's claim the school used black football players as scapegoats to cover up a sexual assault scandal is "blatantly false," the Waco (Texas) Tribune Herald reported. McCaw made the charge during a recent deposition in a lawsuit against the school that was filed two years ago by 10 women who allege Baylor mishandled their sexual assault allegations. "This lawsuit has become a never-ending fishing expedition based on outlandish conspiracy theories, rumors and speculation as part of a crusade to turn up any possible reason to attack Baylor," Baylor officials wrote. "The question in this lawsuit is whether any of the 10 plaintiffs were subjected to a sexually harassing education environment at Baylor in violation of Title IX." The school said McCaw had no personal knowledge of the matters being discussed. The attorney for the plaintiffs, Jim Dunnam, said McCaw's testimony is relevant because it illustrated how the university's actions to protect its brand increased the risk for female students at the nation's largest Baptist school. McCaw, who is white, testified June 19 after being subpoenaed, and excerpts from his testimony appeared in court documents filed about a week later by the plaintiffs' attorneys. During the deposition, McCaw said he was "disgusted" by the racism and the "phony" investigation document that Baylor issued in 2016 that leveled findings against the football program. McCaw added that he ultimately resigned because he didn't want to be part of a massive "cover-up scheme." Baylor was engulfed in a 2016 sexual assault scandal involving its football team that resulted in the firing of head coach Art Briles and the demotion of university president Ken Starr. The university has settled several other lawsuits from women who said their reports of sexual assault were mishandled or ignored. McCaw, now athletic director at Liberty University in Virginia, also was disciplined and resigned in June 2016. -- Junior quarterback Keon Howard is leaving Southern Mississippi. Howard announced on his Twitter feed that he made the decision "to not continue my education and football career at The University of Southern Mississippi." No reason was offered for the decision by Howard, who started seven games for the Golden Eagles in 2017 but did not appear in the final four games, losing the job to Kwadra Griggs. "I would like to thank the coaching staff, my teammates, staff members, student body and others who have supported me," Howard wrote. "I will not forget the moments spent battling at The Rock with my teammates and the loyalty from the fans in victory or defeat." Howard completed 56.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,199 yards with eight touchdown passes against five interceptions last season. He also rushed for 181 yards. Although he has one season of eligibility remaining, Howard did not announce any plans to transfer in his posting. --Defensive lineman Adam Shuler has yet to enroll at the University of Florida nearly a month after announcing he was transferring from West Virginia. Shuler was not listed on the Gators' latest updated roster because he is not enrolled in the school's Summer B program, which started Monday, the Gainesville Sun reported. A 6-foot-4, 275-pounder who appeared in 12 games for the Mountaineers in 2017, Shuler announced June 11 on his Twitter account that he was headed to Florida. Shuler was productive for West Virginia last season, registering 37 tackles, including 8.0 for loss, and 3.0 sacks. He appeared in 12 games as a redshirt freshman, posting 34 tackles and a sack. According to the newspaper, Shuler will have two years of eligibility remaining if he does eventually enroll for classes. --Jalen Watts-Jackson always will have a place in Michigan State history, but now he's ready to move on from football. Watts-Jackson said in March that he hoped to continue his college career as a graduate transfer, but now has decided to go in a much different direction. "I am going into the Air Force," Watts-Jackson told SpartanNation.com. "I was raised that it is a good idea to serve your country. I have family members that have served this county, including my dad. So I am excited to serve this nation." As a 5-foot-11, 184-pound freshman defensive back in 2015, Watts-Jackson scooped up a mishandled punt and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 27-23 walk-off victory over rival Michigan. However, Watts-Jackson sustained a broken hip during the ensuing celebration and his career with the Spartans never took off. The rest of his playing time in East Lansing, Mich., consisted of nine games in 2016. He made three tackles and returned a punt 13 yards. Watts-Jackson, a native of Detroit, plans to become an Air Force officer in the field of cyber systems operation and security.