Could Alabama Use AK Dear in Stagnant Run Game?

Alabama's rushing attack has been, at best, lethargic this season and, at worst, abysmal for the Crimson Tide. Alabama's leading rusher is senior Jam Miller, who missed Alabama's first three games this season, and left a fourth (a 27-24 win over Missouri) due to a concussion. Miller is the only running back to rush for 100 yards in a game this season, and Alabama as a team has failed to eclipse the century mark in four out of nine games this season.

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Miller leads the Crimson Tide with 321 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the season, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. Alabama's second-leading rusher, Kevin Riley, has 186 yards and has fallen out of Alabama's rushing attack rotation over the last three games. The only other Alabama rusher with over 100 yards on the season is sophomore Daniel Hill, who has 104 yards and two touchdowns.

Safe to say, Alabama's run game hasn't been up to the standard of Alabama football this season. It's not due to a lack of trying from Alabama's coaching staff, with multiple rotations along the offensive line, and a plethora of rushers who have seen carries this season, including quarterback Ty Simpson, wide receiver Germie Bernard, and the Krispy package with left tackle Kadn Proctor.

Alabama has stopped relying on its run game in key situations because the Crimson Tide hasn't been able to rely on its run game in critical moments. It needs a spark to rejuvenate a rushing attack that has regressed over the last month of the season. Who could be that spark?

One such name could be true freshman running back AK Dear. Dear was a five-star prospect from Quitman, Mississippi, who signed with the Crimson Tide in the 2025 recruiting class. He has Alabama's longest rush of the season, a 56-yarder that went for a touchdown in Alabama's 73-0 win over ULM in week two. Dear posted a cryptic tweet on X earlier in the week, and Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about the freshman during his weekly appearance on the SEC coaches call on Wednesday.

"AK does a nice job every single day," DeBoer said on Wednesday. "Feel like the growth is there; we saw enough of him early to know he's an explosive player. He's gonna be a guy who, in our future, sooner and later, that continues to help our football team. I think he's getting more and more comfortable with being here. I think we have a group of guys that are all working themselves and trying to get ready to go if called upon."

Dear has just seven carries for 85 yards and the lone touchdown against ULM on the season. If No. 4 Alabama hopes to win a title this season, the Tide's run game will need to drastically improve from its current ranking of No. 119 in the country.

No. 4 Alabama will host No. 11 Oklahoma this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

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Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.