Ask anyone around the Alabama football program, and they'll tell you that right now, the Crimson Tide is as healthy as they have been in months. That has borne fruit during practices leading up to the Rose Bowl.
A day after senior RB Jam Miller declared himself "100% healthy," another banged-up Alabama RB made his return to practice on Sunday.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Riley, who has missed the Tide's last three games after suffering a broken jaw in practice, was spotted going through drills on Sunday and in normal practice attire and not a black, non-contact jersey.
Alabama’s running back room looks a little healthier too as Kevin Riley (28) was active in drills. He’s missed the last 3 games with a broken jaw but participated fully in the media viewing period pic.twitter.com/DIok822tgd
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) December 28, 2025
Alabama RB Kevin Riley is back at practice
With defensive coaches and players talking to the media on Sunday, there were no questions asked about Riley's status, so we may not know until Kalen DeBoer talks to reporters on Monday or when the official availability report for the Rose Bowl comes out early this week.
But Riley's participation in practice on Sunday points to him being available against Indiana, which would give the Crimson Tide's offense another shot in the arm.
The redshirt freshman running back carved out an unexpected role this season in the Alabama backfield. He entered the season as the No. 5 RB in the rotation, but was the Crimson Tide's most effective back in the season-opening loss to Florida State. He earned back-to-back starts against UL Monroe and Wisconsin as a result before Miller returned from injury against Georgia at the end of September.
Riley's effectiveness has been limited since the first couple of weeks of the season, but he has proven himself as a trusted piece in Alabama's offense. His ability as a receiver has been of vital importance, too, with Ty Simpson trusting the young RB as a safety valve.
He caught a touchdown against Missouri and has produced 176 receiving yards on 19 receptions. Of Alabama's trio of contributing runners (Miller and Daniel Hill the others), Riley leads the way in yards-per-carry at 4.0 with 222 rushing yards on the season.
If Riley is able to go, he'll likely be third in the pecking order behind Miller and Hill, but he might be able to provide the spark Alabama needs to move the ball on the ground against a stout Indiana front seven.