Nation's No. 1, RB Najee Harris, Deserves the Spotlight but Never Wanted It

SAN ANTONIO — Well...it's over.

No, it really isn't.

Najee Harris played his final game as a high school athlete Saturday, rushing eight times for 22 yards for the West team in a 27-17 loss to the East team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome. And when the game was over, there was his mother, Tianna Hicks, by his side.

They took pictures with fans and had fun conversations with anyone not looking to go on the record. Because that's Harris in general—someone who isn't big on commentary for the media.

By Monday, Harris is supposed to be in Tuscaloosa as an early enrollee at Alabama. That's how one side of the story is told. The other side says Harris is still trying to determine if Alabama is the school for him. Michigan fans are hoping to see him in maize and blue.

When it came down to answering questions about his future Saturday afternoon, Najee did Najee things. He gave vague answers and never revealed his full plans. In fact, the Antioch, California, running back, who arguably has one of the best poker faces in the 2017 class, gave an answer that makes you wonder if he's trolling or if he's truly, wholeheartedly telling the truth.

"I'm flying out somewhere," he said. "I don't know where, though."

This is Harris, the nation's top-ranked commit of this recruiting cycle. He's been committed to Alabama since April 18, 2015, but he's been linked to making a potential flip to Michigan. He doesn't like speaking publicly about his plans, and every word he utters is gold, platinum even.

So when he told media members that he was still undecided about his plans for college—whether he was flying to Alabama or flying to Michigan—everybody hung on to the verbiage.

And when Hicks was asked about her son's plans, she let people know what she would like. Although, she is aware that Harris' decisions are just that—his.

"I wish he would come home first," Hicks said, "but I don't know what he's going to do."

You just never know with Harris. And that's the way he wants it.

"

Talked briefly to Najee Harris' mother. She'd like for him to come home first before heading to college.

And he said he doesn't know.

— Damon Sayles (@DamonSayles) January 7, 2017"

The conflicting reports were everywhere throughout the week. There was the report by Hank South of 247Sports, which said Harris would fly to Alabama on Sunday with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, his Army bowl roommate and future Crimson Tide teammate. And then there was Land of 10's report, which said Harris told the outlet's Jeremy Birmingham he would fly home to the Oakland, California, area and think about his final plans.

That doesn't even include whether he will enroll at Alabama or Michigan, which has turned into recruiting's best soap opera of the year. One thing's for sure: The winning school will get an elite athlete who will be able to immediately help an offense. He's a stud rusher who is underrated as a receiver out of the backfield.

The saga is fun, funny and over the top—perhaps all of the adjectives depending on how you view recruiting. This is a young man who just finished high school with two of college football's biggest recruiting worlds on their toes, waiting for him to close a chapter unlike any most of us have seen.

But if you know Najee, you know he's someone who hates having the attention on himself. In fact, at The Opening, he asked members of Bleacher Report: "Why does everyone care about what I do?"

Back in March, Antioch head football coach John Lucido described Harris as someone who "has a lot on his mind but doesn't say everything on his mind." He then talked about how he'd much rather talk about what his teammates are doing instead of his own personal accolades.

"[Harris] doesn't feel like he's the guy, but everybody wants to be around him," Lucido said. "He's all about business. He's really a humble kid. He's kind of like Marshawn [Lynch] in that he was all about his action."

Credit: Scout.com

John Garcia Jr. of Scout.com has been covering Harris for quite some time, and he has a good relationship with both him and his mother. Garcia admits the overall storyline is a "tale of extremes."

"It's something we've never seen with a player of this caliber in this era," Garcia said. "Najee really doesn't fully grasp his words, or a lack thereof, are a big deal. While at the same time, everyone else can't grasp a lack of finality.

"It's like an extreme situation."

Whatever Harris decides, know that the recruiting world will be eagerly awaiting how the final chapter of this book ends.

And the book is a best-seller, no doubt.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of Scout.com. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles