The first running back in the game for Alabama against Ole Miss was Damien Harris.

The second? It wasn't Bo Scarbrough or prized freshman B.J. Emmons.

It was the freshman running back that most FBS schools didn't even know existed until around a month before National Signing Day, including Alabama.

It's become a great story.

Two months before National Signing Day, Joshua Jacobs didn't have a single FBS scholarship offer. One month before Signing Day, he only had two -- Wyoming and New Mexico State. Now, he's contributing for the defending national champions as a true freshman and, at least last week against Ole Miss, played ahead of Scarbrough and Emmons.

Why's that noteworthy? Scarbrough is a former five-star recruit who is so talented and athletic that teammates have referred to him before as "The Next Derrick Henry." Emmons was the No. 2 running back and 35th-ranked overall prospect in this year's recruiting class.

"He's done a good job," coach Nick Saban said of the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Jacobs, who ended up being ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 464 overall prospect in this year's recruiting class. "He's making progress. I thought he did a good job in the game (against Ole Miss)."

Jacobs got in early against Ole Miss, entering and getting a carry during Alabama's opening drive.

His biggest highlight against the Rebels was a 25-yard run through the middle of Ole Miss' defense early in the second quarter.

He finished with 33 yards on three carries.

Through three games, the Oklahoma native has run for 53 yards on seven carries, an average of 7.6 yards per attempt.

He also continues to contribute on special teams. He's part of the Tide's kick return team, the kick coverage team and the punt return team.

"He's a good special teams player for us and did a good job in that part of the game as well," Saban said. "He and Bo both are guys we need to continue to grow and develop and have a role on the team at running back, and he's certainly done a really good job."

Back during the recruiting process, Alabama finally became aware of Jacobs around three weeks before National Signing Day after Oklahoma and some other high-profile schools extended scholarship offers.

Impressed by Jacobs' film, Saban sent running backs coach Burton Burns to Oklahoma to visit with Jacobs.

He was expecting Burns to find something wrong with Jacobs, some reason why Jacobs only had two FBS scholarship offers one month before National Signing Day despite running for 2,704 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging more than 15 yards per carry as a high school senior.

Burns never found anything wrong with him, and watching Jacobs go through a basketball practice showed Burns that Jacobs is actually as athletic and explosive as he looked on his high school football game film.

So, Alabama offered him a scholarship. Jacobs later chose the Tide over schools like Oklahoma and Missouri.

Now, this player that only had two FBS scholarship offers one month before National Signing Day is making an impact for the No. 1 team in the nation as a true freshman.