David Pollack Reveals Secret Weapon for Major SEC Football Program

The Alabama Crimson Tide took a major step forward in Year 2 under head coach Kalen DeBoer, but one glaring weakness still threatens to cap the program’s ceiling.

The running game.

Alabama improved from 9-4 in DeBoer’s first season to 11-4 last year, reaching both the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. On the surface, that is exactly the type of progress the program hoped for after replacing Nick Saban.

But beneath the improved record sits a major problem that cannot be ignored.

The Crimson Tide finished No. 125 nationally in rushing offense last season at just 104.1 yards per game. For a program historically built on physical dominance and controlling games at the line of scrimmage, that number is shocking.

Jackson's EJ Crowell (13) runs the ball up the sidelines after breaking away from Anniston's Demris Almon (12). | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That is why college football analyst David Pollack said on "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack" that he believes Alabama’s solution to the problem might be a freshman.

"Alabama is 125th in the nation in rushing," Pollack said. "There's a reason they went out and got a five-star running back. There's not a lot of five-star running backs anymore. But there's a reason they got EJ Crowell. And this dude, the run game needs some punch."

EJ Crowell certainly brings excitement. The five-star freshman is viewed as one of the most explosive backs in the country and gives Alabama a dynamic player capable of creating chunk plays immediately.

But relying on one freshman to fix a structural offensive problem feels overly optimistic. That is the bigger issue facing Alabama entering 2026. The concern is no longer just personnel. It is philosophy.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has now developed a pattern that raises legitimate questions about his rushing attack. Even during his highly successful run with DeBoer at Washington, the offense struggled to establish a consistent ground game.

Washington finished No. 106 nationally in rushing in 2023 despite fielding one of the best offensive lines in the country.

The year before, the Huskies ranked No. 69. That trend has now carried over to Alabama. At some point, it stops being a coincidence. Not to mention, he had a bottom-five rushing attack in the NFL in his one season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.

The offense clearly prioritizes the passing game, spacing and tempo. That can work when you have elite quarterback play and explosive receivers, but championship-level football in the SEC still requires balance. Especially in the postseason, teams have to be able to run the ball when defenses know it is coming.

Right now, Alabama has not shown it can do that consistently under this system. That is why Crowell’s arrival feels more like a necessary bandage than a guaranteed solution.

Could he elevate the rushing attack? Absolutely. Elite talent changes games. But expecting a freshman running back to single-handedly revive a struggling rushing offense ignores the deeper schematic concerns surrounding the system itself.

And that is what should worry Alabama fans most. Because this does not look like a one-year anomaly anymore. It looks like an identity issue.

The good news for Alabama is that the roster still has enough talent to compete for championships. Few programs recruit at this level, and DeBoer has clearly stabilized things after a rocky first season.

But if the Crimson Tide wants to get back to dominating college football instead of simply competing near the top, the offense has to become more physical and more balanced.

Otherwise, even an elite back like Crowell may not be enough to solve the problem.

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