Alabama Football - Saban Presser: Signing Day

Safety Ronnie Harrison speaks with the media following Alabama Coach Nick Saban's discussion of National Signing Day and the Tide's 2015 signing class, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com ORG XMIT: ALBIN401

(VASHA HUNT)

Alabama's famed "Fourth Quarter" winter conditioning program incorporates a grueling combination of running and other exercises day after day to condition and build mental toughness in Tide players in advance of spring practice.

"You kno its 4th quarter time when you take the elevator to the second floor instead of walking up ten stairs.... #DeadLegs," former Tide tight end Corey McCarron posted on Twitter last year.

Alabama senior linebacker Reggie Ragland was asked Friday if any players were particularly impressive or made noticeable progress during this year's winter conditioning program.

Ragland's answer: Freshman safety Ronnie Harrison, a four-star prospect and one of eight members of this year's recruiting class that enrolled at Alabama in January.

"I like how Ronnie Harrison came in," said Ragland, one of the Tide's defensive leaders. "He was full speed the whole time in Fourth Quarter. You could tell that what he was going through that he was just dying, but he still came back the next day going hard the whole time.

"I like the way he's doing it. Every time I came up here, he was up here with coach [Glenn] Schumann learning what's going on. I think he's going to contribute this year."

Rivals rated Harrison as the 13th-best safety prospect in this past recruiting class.

The Tallahassee, Florida native will be part of a group competing for playing time at safety, where Alabama is replacing both starters from last season.

The 6-foot-3 Harrison said in February that he had already bulked up to 218 pounds, a month after arriving at Alabama weighing 206.

"I think I have a good opportunity to start playing next year," Harrison said in February. "I just have to learn the playbook and come in and work hard every day."