2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Running Backs

The Alabama Crimson Tide enters the 2026 season with one goal on the offensive side of the ball: balance the offense by improving in the running game. The program finished 125th nationally in 2025 in rushing, averaging a measly 104.1 yards per game on the ground, putting extraordinary weight on Ty Simpson to move the football through the air throughout the season. The Crimson Tide has addressed the issue by hiring a new offensive line coach and hitting the transfer portal hard up front to get the ground game going.

Alabama recruited the top running back in the Class of 2026, adding EJ Crowell into a talented running back room that's a year older and more experienced in Kalen DeBoer's offense.

"We've got to be able to execute better in the run game. I think that is a mindset that's something where I feel like we got the talent, we got the schemes, the schematics," DeBoer said at SEC Media Days. "We got the people that can pull the trigger on things, whether it's coaches or players. We just got to continue to work. That area is going to make our entire team better and help us accomplish the next level of goals and successes that we're hoping for."

The running backs enter the season under pressure to perform to provide balance to an offense that's breaking in a new starting quarterback.

Projected Depth Chart

Junior - Daniel Hill
Sophomore - AK Dear
Junior - Kevin Riley
Freshman - EJ Crowell
Freshman - Trae'shawn Brown
Senior - Khalifa Keith

2026 Alabama Running Backs

Note: The NCAA eliminated redshirts during the summer, meaning Alabama lists its players as either a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, fifth-year, or sixth-year on the official roster. Additionally, the roster hasn't been updated yet with new measurements, so the ones below are from the spring.

Daniel Hill – Junior, 6-1, 236

Hill is a 4-star recruit and was considered the No. 14 running back in the Class of 2024 out of Meridian, Miss., entering his third year in Tuscaloosa. He served as the Crimson Tide's second tailback behind Jam Miller, while taking the majority of the short-yardage work due to his size and power. He started all three postseason games and handled 75 carries for 284 yards with six rushing touchdowns in 2025 and averaged 3.6 yards per carry over the last two seasons.

He enters the season as the most likely candidate to start, but could be supplanted if others have a more productive fall camp. The junior is still the biggest back in the room, making him the most likely option in short yardage again this fall.

AK Dear – Sophomore, 6-1, 214

Dear is a 4-star recruit and was considered the No. 2 running back in the Class of 2025 out of Quitman, Miss., entering his second year in Tuscaloosa. Dear played in five games as a true freshman, taking 19 carries for 140 yards and three touchdowns. He scored Alabama's longest rushing touchdown of the season on a 56-yard scamper against Louisiana-Monroe. The majority of his carries were in non-conference action, but he did have three carries against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game.

Dear can become an every-down back, but he clearly needed to sit back and develop during his first season. If he can master the nuances of pass blocking and develop reading his blocks at the next college level, he could become a key piece to Alabama's rushing attack.

Kevin Riley – Junior, 5-11, 198

Riley is a 4-star recruit and was considered the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2024 out of Tuscaloosa, entering his third year in the program. He started the first two games of the season last year after Jam Miller suffered a fall camp injury. Riley ultimately played in 11 games and took 59 carries for 224 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was dangerous in the passing game, hauling in 19 receptions for 176 yards and another touchdown, providing the Crimson Tide offense with a quick, change-of-pace running back.

Riley is still the lightest running back in the room and provides Alabama with a different dynamic in the running back room. The hometown product impressed in limited action as a sophomore and should be ready to carry a bigger load in his third season of college football.

EJ Crowell – Freshman, 5-11, 221

Crowell is a 5-star recruit and was considered the No. 1 running back in the Class of 2026 out of Jackson, Ala. He skipped his senior season in Jackson after winning Mr. Football in Alabama after resetting his own state of Alabama record for single-season rushing yards, taking 209 carries for 2,632 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2025. Crowell finished his Jackson career with 6,025 yards and 86 touchdowns and two Class 4A state championship wins.

He enrolled in December at the University of Alabama, but didn't participate fully in spring practice as he dealt with a minor injury. Coaches have already complimented his ability, and his high school highlights are outstanding. Due to the horrific nature of the ground game in 2025, Crowell will have ample opportunity to carve out a role in 2026. Expect him to skyrocket up the depth chart if he proves to be the best back in fall camp

Trae'shawn Brown – Freshman, 5-10, 201

Brown is a 3-star recruit and was considered the No. 44 running back in the Class of 2026 out of Huntsville, Texas. He was a late addition to the recruiting class, but enrolled at the University in December. He rushed for 1,362 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior and impressed during spring practice, showing off toughness and a strong ability to catch the football. Brown handled six carries for 19 yards, while making five receptions for 50 yards during Alabama's spring game.

Brown is an underrated recruit who offers the room proper depth, while providing the program with a unique skill set that can spark the running game.

Khalifa Keith – Senior, 6-1, 232

Keith is a 3-star recruit and was considered the No. 43 running back in the Class of 2023 out of Birmingham. He transferred into the program after spending two seasons with Tennessee and 2025 at Appalachian State. He played in 16 games, taking 32 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown for the Vols, and made six appearances for the Mountaineers, taking three carries for eight yards.

He fills out the Crimson Tide's running back room, ensuring the program has six scholarship backs. Keith took one carry for no gain during Alabama's spring game and sits on the outside looking in as opportunities are divvied out this fall.

This is the second story of BamaCentral's summer position previews series. We're providing an in-depth look at every position group through the rest of July.

2026 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Quarterbacks

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