The expectations for Kalen DeBoer’s second season in Tuscaloosa have been high, and since the program named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback for Week 1, the vibes have been even higher. Until Alabama’s second scrimmage of the preseason, when starting running back Jam Miller sustained an upper-body injury that has him expected to miss multiple games.
Miller was the team’s second-leading rusher behind Jalen Milroe last season, racking up 668 yards on 145 carries, and was positioned for a breakout in 2025. Miller’s place as RB1 was so cemented that RB2, Justice Haynes, transferred away to Michigan this offseason, and now that departure looms much larger with the Tide forced to turn to inexperienced runners for the early part of the season.
Justice Haynes will be missed in Tuscaloosa with Jam Miller out
Miller’s absence could thrust Richard Young into the starting role. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Young finished with 146 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. If not, Young, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will turn to Louisiana transfer Dre Washington or redshirt freshman Daniel Hill.
Washington is experienced, but has never carried the ball more than 100 times in a season, and is making a significant jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC. It’s not just Haynes’ experience that the Tide will be missing with Miller out; it’s also his effectiveness because you can make an argument that, despite being RB2, he was the better back last season.
It was far from a 50/50 split in Alabama’s backfield last season, and with Milroe shouldering such a significant load in the run game, there weren’t many carries to go around. Still, Haynes made the most of his 79 attempts, turning them into 448 yards and seven scores.
On a down-to-down basis, he wasn’t quite as effective as Haynes, registering a woeful 35 percent success rate that trailed Miller’s pedestrian 40 percent, but he was much more explosive, and that led to greater efficiency.
Despite carrying the ball 66 fewer times, Haynes matched Miller’s number of breakaway runs of over 15 yards with five, and Haynes’s five went for 14 more yards than Miller’s (according to PFF), aided by a long of 85 yards. Haynes averaged 5.7 yards per attempt, a full yard more than Miller, and his 0.05 EPA/carry was a major improvement over Miller’s -0.09.
As a smaller back, Haynes may have never been cut out for a workhorse role in the SEC, and he may not be in the Big Ten either. With more carries, his efficiency may have waned, but it’s undeniable that he made more of his opportunities than Miller last season. So, with Miller out in Week 1 and potentially beyond, it’s easy to make the case that Haynes would have been Alabama’s best option to weather the storm.