Former Alabama RB feels injury to Jam Miller has chance to benefit Alabama

Former Alabama running back, Trent Richardson believes the upper-body injury Jam Miller recently sustained in fall camp opens the door for multiple rushers to emerge out of the Crimson Tide’s backfield early on in 2025.

“This is an opportunity,” Richardson said on the latest episode of The Dynasty Podcast. “Right, it’s always the next guy up. And me and Mark (Ingram II), we always said we play next to each other. We never said it was a one and a two, a starter, or a non starter. We all just said we played beside each other. And so, being able to have guys that are going to be comfortable with having more than one or two guys now, you’ve got to open it up to them.”

Richardson’s theory is possible with the depth that Alabama football has behind Miller in their running back department. This pool of talent includes Daniel Hill, Richard Young, Dre Washington, Kevin Riley and AK Dear. A group of them has a chance to make a much-needed impact for the Crimson Tide’s offense in Miller’s absence.

“Daniel Hill has done a good job providing a lot of protection, and I think he’s gotten a lot better at that as far as with his eyes, super physical guy,” Grubb said during his latest media availability. “I think Daniel is starting to run like the back we saw in the spring. Early in camp, I thought he was a little bit slow to come to that. Dre has a great vision running the football. He improves every day still. I think some of the pass-protection responsibilities, probably, we’re not in his wheelhouse prior to getting here. Kevin Riley has started to show up a little bit. He is a guy who has really nice vision, not as big of a back as the other guys but runs very physical, and it is really good out of the backfield.”

Former Alabama quarterback, AJ McCarron also sees the question marks in the Tide’s backfield as a potential positive if one or multiple rushers can step up.

“I think you’re gonna see a big rotation,” McCarron said. “You’re gonna see a bunch of opportunities for guys to establish themselves, and that’s not a bad thing either. Because everybody’s gonna have a different skillset, some guys are going to be better at outside zones, some guys are gonna be better for inside zones, gap schemes, powers, free releases out of the backfield. ‘Hey can we get into empty and this guy be able to run certain routes, catch the football. Like, there’s going to be opportunities for guys to establish themselves. And then if you can have guys that can truly create an identity in that backfield and what they’re really good at, then now when Jam comes back it only helps the offense blossom even more.”

It now looks like all eyes will be on the ball carriers in Alabama football’s backfield early on in the 2025 season to see if any rusher or combination of backs can provide steadiness until Miller is ready to return.