Expectations for Alabama's RB room were meager nationally heading into the season. The Crimson Tide failed to land a difference-maker in the Transfer Portal, with Hollywood Smothers flipping his commitment from Alabama to Texas back in January. The belief in the aftermath was that if Alabama's ground game was going to improve in 2026, it would be because of 5-star freshman EJ Crowell.
And despite Crowell being banged up in the spring and summer, the headlines were dominated by two other running backs: fellow freshman Trae'shawn Brown and rising sophomore AK Dear.
Alabama's leading returning rusher, junior Daniel Hill, was a mere afterthought. Even though it always seemed obvious that he would have the starting job, most assumed it was only a matter of time before he was passed over by one of the talented youngsters.
Instead, through two games, it's obvious that Hill is the unquestioned RB1 right now. He was the back that Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb trusted on the road against Kentucky. He carried the rock 18 times for a career-high 104 yards. For the season, he's at a 5.6-yard-per-carry average, up from 3.8 a season ago.
Hill put in the work this offseason to slim down, add some explosiveness, and refine his craft. That explosiveness was on display in the third quarter in Lexington when he broke what should have been a 34-yard touchdown run. He was ultimately ruled out of bounds at the three, punching in his second touchdown of the afternoon just one play later.
Through two games, Alabama is ranked 30th in rushing yards per game. It's a small sample size, but considering they finished 129th in the same stat a year ago, it's a welcome sight for Tide fans.
And while there's little doubt that Crowell and Brown have a lot of talent, and AK Dear is expected to be a factor once he gets back from injury, Hill is at the top of the depth chart for a reason.
Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb rave about Daniel Hill after 100+ yard day at Kentucky
Saturday in Lexington was the first 100-yard rushing performance of Hill's college career. It was the first 100-yard rushing performance for an Alabama RB since Jam Miller last season against Vanderbilt.
"That's the stuff you want to coach for," Grubb said on Monday. "To see guys like Daniel Hill grow in their role and earn it. Nothing has been given to him. He earned every carry he got in the football game."
Hill knew that Alabama was pursuing a transfer in the portal. Smothers committed to Alabama while the window to enter the portal was still open. That didn't scare him away from Tuscaloosa. He was prepared to stay and compete regardless. It's hard not to respect that.
“Happy for his success," DeBoer said on Monday. "He has worked and stayed the course. He could have gotten down a year ago. Back this year doing the things, and you can see he is one of the guys who has improved the most on the football team."
With Dear set to return in the next week or two, suddenly what looked like a weakness to most in the preseason might be a significant strength of this team. With Hill, Crowell, Brown, and Dear, Alabama will have four quality backs to turn to, taking significant pressure off the young Keelon Russell.
And Alabama's offensive line is showing signs of being able to move people up front. If a couple of things can get cleaned up in the coming weeks, the run game might go from being a major question mark to a legitimate bright spot.
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