After fielding one of the least effective ground attacks in all of college football last year, Alabama's running back room enters this season with something to prove—and, by the sound of it, something to unleash.
That perspective carries a little more weight when it comes from someone in the trenches. The player offering that assessment isn't just an observer—it's projected starting offensive left guard Will Sanders. While being sidelined and rehabbing for the entirety of March and April, Sanders had the unique vantage point of watching Alabama's running back room go to work each day in spring practices, following a pedestrian 2025 campaign in which the unit ranked 125th in the nation and averaged just 104.1 yards per game.
During this time, the redshirt junior came away impressed with the array of depth and variety Alabama is rolling out in the backfield, with Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, AK Dear, and incoming true five-star freshman EJ Crowell all flashing different skillsets. Crowell, though limited at times, still showed glimpses of what he could potentially add once fully unleashed. For Sanders, this collective makeup of talent is what has him feeling confident about the group heading into his return this fall, when he finally gets the chance to block for them.
Will Sanders has high hopes for Alabama's RB room
"Honestly, it's a little scary how talented we are, just at running back," Sanders said on Tuesday morning in an appearance on the Gary Harris Show via Tide 100.9 FM Radio. "You have a wide variety—strength guys, speed guys. That's the thing. Everyone is fast. Everyone is strong. We're definitely a set-apart group when it comes to running back."
Sanders even expanded on that praise when highlighting the depth of the room, specifically pointing to three-star freshman running back Trae'shawn Brown, who took advantage of extended snaps in Crowell's absence.
"He's had a great spring," Sanders said. "Honestly, being able to watch him just grow and make crazy plays throughout the spring was awesome. Great attitude, too. Ready to work. Great joking guy—he'll mess around with you. Overall, he's awesome."
With the return of Sanders up front and the nucleus of talent in Hill, Riley, Dear, Crowell, and Brown, these eye-opening comments should bring added encouragement for a position group still trying to find itself alongside a reshuffled offensive line. It'll be interesting to see how these two units merge together this fall, as they'll go hand-in-hand when it comes to determining the outcome of the success Alabama hopes to generate on offense in 2026.
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