TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- A true freshman started opposite Dylan Moses in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Christian Harris, a 6-foot-2, 244-pound summer enrollee from Baton Rouge, La., stepped in in place of injured redshirt senior Joshua McMillon in Alabama’s second and final scrimmage of the preseason. And by all accounts, the freshman played well in the game-like practice session.

“He did a good job,” said Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said after the scrimmage. “I’d like to watch the film. He’s a football player. It’s important to him. He runs and hits people. Is he where he needs to be in terms of what to do, how to do it, why it’s important to do it that way?

“… But when we’ve had guys like this in the past whether it was C.J. Mosley playing as a freshman, (Dont’a) Hightower playing as a freshman, Rolando McClain playing as a freshman, we just put them in there and play them, and they got to get some on-the-job training.”

Prior to Saturday’s scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium was the first time reporters had spotted Harris beside Moses at the front of the inside linebacker line and with the first-team defense. In the practices following McMillon’s injury last weekend, it had been redshirt sophomore Markail Benton.

But the true freshman appears to be making a move as fall camp comes to a close. And for him to be mentioned with some of the linebackers Saban named shows the potential he sees in Harris -- a player that is still learning the inside linebacker position. At University Lab, he played wide receiver, defensive back and returned kicks on back-to-back state championship teams.

Alabama freshman linebacker Christian Harris

A former 4-star recruit, Harris was the No. 4-rated inside linebacker, No. 3 player in the state of Louisiana and the No. 71 overall prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports.

“I’m excited,” Harris said told BamaOnLine before enrolling at Alabama in late May. “I put my trust in Coach (Pete) Golding that he’s going to lead me in the right direction and help with this linebacker position since I’ve never played it before.

“… Just from playing safety and corner so much, with certain coverages and scenarios, I would know what they’re doing, and that will probably help me understand more just because I played really every position except for D-line. So, I have a little bit of background of what’s going on, so I feel like that will help me learn the playbook a little faster and stuff like that.”

Alabama still has six practices this upcoming week before game week for the season opener against the Duke Blue Devils, but Harris will be a player we watch from this point on. Can he hold off Benton, Ale Kaho, Jaylen Moody and Shane Lee for the starting Will linebacker spot?

“There’s still competition at that position,” Saban said, “but he’s a guy that has made plays throughout fall camp so far that we’re hopeful will be able to continue to improve and develop and play like a starter.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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