Where Alabama football’s running back group stands for 2025 after Justice Haynes departure

One of Alabama football’s top contributors at running back, Justice Haynes, is one his way to the transfer portal. Haynes leaves behind a Crimson Tide group that will have five players on scholarship, barring any more transfer portal activity.

Even without Haynes, much of the production from Alabama’s 2024 running backs is set to return. Here’s a look at where the position group will stand entering Kalen DeBoer’s second season in charge.

Jam Miller

Miller was one of the Crimson Tide’s top two backs this season, splitting carries with Haynes. He finished the regular season with 641 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

The junior had 135 carries throughout the regular season, most among Alabama RBs, ahead of Haynes’ 79. Miller scored seven touchdowns on the ground, and also contributed 119 yards and another score in the passing game.

He figures to continue atop the UA depth chart in 2025, absent a transfer portal decision.

Richard Young

With Haynes out of the picture, Young could see more carries in 2025. As a redshirt freshman this season, he went for 140 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Young joined Alabama as a four-star prospect in the 2023 signing class.

Daniel Hill

One of Alabama’s young running backs who could see more action in Haynes’ absence is hill. He brings a different sort of threat than Miller and Young, playing more of a power style.

Hill is listed at 6-foot-1, 241 pounds. He finished the 2024 regular season with 21 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Hill was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class.

Kevin Riley

A Tuscaloosa County product, Riley redshirted his freshman season with the Crimson Tide. The four-star 2024 signee played in two games, finishing with 10 carries for 30 yards.

AK Dear

The newest addition to the Alabama group is Dear, who joins as a signee in the 2025 recruiting class. Dear was initially committed to Ole Miss before flipping to the Crimson Tide.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Dear, from Quitman, Miss., was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the 2025 class by 247Sports. He’s a four-star prospect.

“Displays good patience and vision at the line of scrimmage while demonstrating the short area burst and explosiveness to change gears from the first to second level to create separation between the tackles,” 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna wrote in his scouting report of Dear. “An efficient mover that can make defenders miss with his one cut elusiveness or contact balance, Dear excels finding hidden yardage and accounting for yards after contact utilizing his powerful lower half.”