What EJ Crowell Has to Do to Get More Carries in Alabama Run Game

The Crimson Tide freshman has flashed his playmaking ability, but has the least carries among Alabama's top-three running backs.

Alabama running back EJ Crowell breaks a tackle in the second half of the game against Mississippi State on Oct 3, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama freshman running back EJ Crowell leads all Crimson Tide rushers with an average of 7.8 yards per rush, yet he has the fewest attempts of the three main running backs. Crowell has half the carries of senior Daniel Hill and and is 16 behind fellow freshmen Trae'shawn Brown.

The in-state freshman out of Jackson High School did enroll early, but he missed all of the spring and most of fall camp with an injury that set him a little behind in learning the offensive playbook.

"EJ is still growing into the game plans, and there’s parts that can be difficult at times to have him on the field when he doesn’t have the whole offense down," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Monday. "But he’s getting there, and he’s fighting his tail off to learn, and that’s as big a part as anything because he is obviously wildly effective when the ball is in his hand."

Wildly effective is a good way to put it. Crowell's second carry of the game in Saturday's win over Mississippi State, he ran it for 37 yards, breaking about five tackles, stiff-arming multiple players and leaving several Bulldog players on the ground in his wake. His natural skillset is evident nearly every time he touches the ball.

EJ CROWELL 😤 pic.twitter.com/3I8Dq0iLxK

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 3, 2026

Crowell scored Alabama's very first touchdown of the season against East Carolina in the opener, and he has 26 carries for 204 yards and three touchdowns overall on the year. Grubb knows that Crowell needs to have a bigger role in the offense, and that's something they are continuing to work towards as No. 6 Alabama prepares to host No. 2 Georgia this week.

"I thought this last week, honestly, he did a really good job on pass protection in practice, and it has really come around to where we can trust him in that regard, and that helps get him in the football game," Grubb said. "But he’s a special player, and he’s grown every week. We certainly will continue to make him a bigger part of the offense.”

Alabama likes the depth it has at running back while Crowell continues to work his way up to speed. The backs will be facing their biggest test yet as Georgia has the No. 3 rush defense in the country, only allowing 57.4 rush yards per game.

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