Nick Saban doesn’t like to compare players. But those said Alabama players have no problems doing it.

Bo Scarbrough rushed for 104 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries in 2015.

When asked which young player was destined for stardom, some did not hesitate. When asked about a specific freshman running back, some just laughed or shook their head, knowing their words would not do the five-star product justice.

One underclassman, who only saw the field as a reserve last season, has been compared to another Crimson Tide back -- one that won the Heisman Trophy in 2015. And that has been an overwhelming comparison among his teammates.

“Bo Scarbrough, he’s gonna be great,” defensive tackle Jarran Reed said. “His time is coming. He’s a great runner. He’s another Derrick (Henry). He’s also shifty, and he’ll definitely break it and take it to the house.”

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Scarbrough, a Tuscaloosa product, will look to fill the void Henry left when the junior declared for the NFL Draft last month. And despite only being on campus for one year, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound tailback is being projected to do just that.

Reed faced Scarbrough almost every day on the practice field in 2015, but even his offensive teammates, like Henry’s roommate O.J. Howard, have seen the similarities in Scarbrough and the departing Henry (6-foot-3, 242 pounds).

“Bo’s a big back, man,” Howard told BamaOnLine before the Cotton Bowl. “If Bo wants to do it, I think Bo has a chance to be like Derrick Henry, and that’s winning the Heisman and everything. And I think Bo will. I think Bo will figure it out. He’s going through that knee injury right now, but in the long run, I think Bo will be fine.”

After joining the team during its prep for Ohio State in the first-ever College Football Playoff, Scarbrough sustained a knee injury in one of the team’s spring scrimmages before the 2015 A-Day Spring Game. And that has taken some time to fully heal.

That and a four-game suspension by the NCAA kept Scarbrough off the field for the start of Alabama’s 2016 season, and when he was eligible and healthy saw carries out of the backfield in the closing minutes of games (18 carries, 104 yards, one touchdown).

Even through all of that, Scarbrough’s face wore a smile when he recalled his freshman year in crimson.

“I had some adversity to overcome, but it’s been pretty great, just to put back on the pads and get in the groove of playing football again,” Scarbrough told BamaOnLine in Arlington.

Scarbrough said he feels “great” but is not yet where he wants to be from a physical and health standpoint.

Another setback with his body was a frustrating occurrence for Scarbrough. His high school career was littered with injuries, but one silver lining to that is his familiarity with the rehab process and what he needs to do and wear to return to the field.

“In a way it’s kind of annoying because I gotta wear the brace, which I have worn before,” Scarbrough said. “I think I gotta wear it a little longer now.”

Much like Henry, Scarbrough was a highly-rated and -regarded talent during his recruitment before he chose the Crimson Tide early in the process. The No. 16 player in the 2014 cycle, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Scarbrough stood tall above most of his competition.

One of his former foes, who is now a teammate at Alabama, remembered facing Scarbrough underneath the Friday night lights before he transferred to IMG Academy.

Bo Scarbrough played in just four games last year, but has some of the best odds to win the Heisman this year. Is he a legitimate Heisman contender?

“He’s an animal. The guy is a freak of an athlete,” linebacker Keith Holcombe told BamaOnLine. “I played against him in high school, and back then you knew he was something special. There’s no doubt, in the near future, he’s gonna be something very special.”

The Crimson Tide’s spring practices will begin next month, and knee brace or not, many expect Scarbrough to head the running back line with Henry and Kenyan Drake no longer in town.

But it will not be a one-man race for the starting running back job in 2016. Scarbrough will have to hold off fellow former five-star back Damien Harris for the top spot. But it was Scarbrough, and not Harris, that received rave reviews from veteran players in the withering days of the 2015 season.

And while the comparisons to Henry made that smile return to his face, Scarbrough was nothing but complimentary of the All-American who rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 scores.

“He’s outstanding, man,” Scarbrough said. “You’re really blessed to be around a guy like Derrick because you see the work he puts in and the stuff that he goes through to do what he did and to get to where he is right now. Derrick Henry, he’s a really special guy to be around and you always wanna be around Derrick because the type of person he is.”

Scarbrough hopes to be in the same position Henry is currently in someday, entering his name in the NFL Draft fresh off winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy. But he knows there is still work to do this offseason to get back to his old self – the one that impressed so many players in practice.

“I just wanna stay healthy and learn more and more as I can,” Scarbrough said.

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Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @Charlie_Potter.