After an uncharacteristic season on the ground, and with newer turnover, the Alabama Crimson Tide's run game is expected to significantly improve for the 2026 season.
This may not come as a surprise to you, but Alabama’s run game in the 2025 season was horrible.
So bad, that it ruined the offense and made superstar athletes look pedestrian.
The 2025 Alabama roster posted the single-worst season in average rushing yards per game in program history.
Between a combination of Jam Miller, Kevin Riley, Daniel Hill, Richard Young, and AK Dear, the Tide had only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. That lack of explosiveness in the run game severely affected quarterback Ty Simpson’s ability to take over games.
Especially given that Simpson had suffered elbow bursitis and a bulging disc in his back during the Week 9 win against South Carolina, the Simpson experience was forced to take an unexpected turn.
When Simpson was on his game, Alabama didn’t need an over-the-top run game. But after the injuries he suffered, the weaknesses on the ground became even more glaring.
In a season where he was expected to take a massive leap, Miller struggled to get going. There were a handful of games where he rushed for 80 yards or more, but in one of the more important four-game stretches of the season, Miller rushed for a whopping 2.1 yards per carry.
Instead, a player like Hill took charge when Alabama needed him most.
Built like a freight train at 6-foot-1 240 pounds, Hill poses an intriguing option for Alabama this season.
His carries were few and far between, but when he got the ball, you can see the potential that he can bring.
For a man his size, he has a significantly quicker step than most, and a keen football IQ.
He has a tremendous talent, but the key for Hill is how to use it. The highlight tape and the stat sheet don’t add up, so there clearly needs to be some improvement.
Now, you may look at the five minute highlight video on YouTube and immediately draw your conclusion right then and there. He’s fantastic at finding the open space in the trenches and is an adequate receiver.
But there’s a reason why he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry for the season.
With such a large frame, Hill doesn’t use it to his advantage all the time. Instead of being a bruiser, there are times where he tries to finesse around the defense and it’s bitten him.
Consider the touchdown he scored in the College Football Playoffs against Oklahoma.
That's the type of running you want to see out of Hill on a week-to-week basis.
Yes he is faster than the average running back his size, but that’s only breakaway speed. Hill isn’t built to be a shifty and quick-footed running back. Leave that up to Riley and incoming freshman Ezavier Crowell.
Using finesse may have worked in high school, but it’s a whole different ball game in college. Luckily he has a whole offseason to use his size to his advantage and help the Tide march down the field.
This is Hill’s job to lose, but if he can’t get into a rhythm, coach Kalen DeBoer won’t be shy to play someone younger than him. That’s how Hill even got into this position.
As the fourth-string running back, there were limited expectations originally coming into the season. But with injuries sustained to Miller and Riley, along with Young unable to live up to expectations, the ball was in Hill’s court.
However, he took the ball and ran with it, and helped Alabama secure key victories against South Carolina and LSU.
Now, it’s Hill who carries the torch in the backfield, with plenty of backs looking to take his spot.
Experiencing deja vu? You should.
It’s the exact same situation he was in last year but flipped. And Hill has the chance to flatten the curve so it’s his job to keep.
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