Alabama
These 3 questions could define Alabama football 2026 running back room
The Alabama football offense has its share of questions heading into the 2026 season. But none may be bigger than one.
Can Alabama find stability in its 2026 run game?
Alabama struggled to run the ball in 2025, finishing with the second-worst run game in the SEC averaging a little more than 100 rushing yards per game. Will the Crimson Tide improve in 2026?
Here are three questions about the Alabama’s 2026 running back room.
How much of a load will EJ Crowell carry in Alabama football run game?
In Kalen DeBoer’s ideal world, EJ Crowell would make an impact immediately as an Alabama freshman.
While Crowell spent the spring navigating a lower-body injury — attending 2026 A-Day on a medical scooter with a boot on his right foot — DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News in May he wants Crowell to “get incorporated full-fledged with some urgency with as much as he can handle.”
When Crowell was healthy at Jackson High School, he was electric, needing only three seasons to accumulate more than 6,000 rushing yards and 91 rushing touchdowns.
Alabama hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Brian Robinson. TJ Yeldon was the last Crimson Tide freshman back to eclipse 1,000 yards. Could Crowell be next?
Can Daniel Hill or Kevin Riley take next step?
Daniel Hill showed flashes of success. He was the bellcow back in Alabama’s regular season loss to Oklahoma, leading the team in carries and rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Kevin Riley’s days came in blowouts, recording 69 yards against Louisiana Monroe and two touchdowns against Eastern Illinois.
Both Riley and Hill are back. If Crowell takes awhile to adjust, or is still recovering from injury, both would likely shoulder the run game workload.
Can Alabama flourish if Hill and Riley are at the top of the depth chart?
Will lack of run game force Alabama to be one-dimensional offensively?
One Alabama back had a 100-yard game in 2025.
In Alabama’s 30-14 home win against Vanderbilt, Jam Miller had 136 rushing yards on 22 carries, adding a 20-yard touchdown run. The run game, as a whole, averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
With Miller’s 100-yard performance, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson added 340 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
The 2026 offense looks similar to 2025, at least from a quarterback perspective. Neither Austin Mack nor Keelon Russell have a career start, and both bring even less experience than Simpson had.
Can a stagnant run game in 2025 be revived in 2026, especially for an offense that may desperately need it?
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.