Alabama got back on track in Week 2 with a 73-0 win over Louisiana Monroe to get to 1-1 in Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era, and along with notching an entry in the win column, the Crimson Tide could be getting healthier for a Week 3 matchup with Wisconsin at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Veteran running back Jam Miller has yet to play for Alabama this season after dislocating his collarbone in the Tide’s second scrimmage of fall camp. However, he is nearing a return, and it could come this week. In his mid-week teleconference with the media, DeBoer listed Miller as a game-time decision on Saturday.
Miller was the Tide’s top returning rusher from last season, with Jalen Milroe in the NFL and Justice Haynes fleeing for Michigan in the transfer portal. Haynes has gotten off to a hot start with the Wolverines. He busted off a long touchdown run against SEC competition in Norman, Oklahoma, last week, and the Tide have missed his presence in the backfield.
Without Miller, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb have had a deep rotation in the backfield. Five different Alabama running backs have taken carries this season: Kevin Riley, AK Dear, Richard Young, Daniel Hill, and Dre Washington. Riley, a former four-star freshman, has emerged as the most successful of that group, but the Tide rank 111th in the country in rushing success rate and 66th in EPA/carry.
Riley, Young, and Dear have all produced a positive EPA/carry in Miller’s stead, but only Riley has a success rate over 40 percent on the young season. If Alabama is without Miller again in Week 3, Riley will likely have to carry a significant workload, and it’s unclear if he’ll be up to the challenge against a Big Ten opponent.
DeBoer would probably prefer to keep Miller sidelined one more game, with a bye week upcoming in Week 4 before the Tide open SEC play against Georgia in Athens on September 27. That would give Miller two additional weeks to rehab his injury, but the question is, does DeBoer trust his team to handle Wisconsin at home without Miller?
Alabama is heavily favored, but with four losses to unranked teams already in his brief tenure, nothing is a sure thing for DeBoer and the Tide right now.
Jam Miller latest injury updates:
Jam Miller is a game-time decision for Week 3 against Wisconsin. Kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium is set for 12:00 p.m. ET.