Alabama OL says it's 'honestly a little scary' how talented the Tide is at running back

Alabama’s run game has to improve in 2026. The Crimson Tide finished near the bottom of the FBS ranks in rushing offense (104.13 ypg) last season, and lost its leading rusher to the NFL.

There isn’t a running back on Alabama’s current roster who has rushed for over 300 yards in a season at the college level. But a returning Tide offensive lineman is confident in the group.

“It’s honestly a little scary how talented we are,” Alabama offensive guard William Sanders told The Gary Harris Show. “Just at running back, you have such 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 backs.

“And also attitude, too. Everyone wants to make sure everyone gets the ball. Everyone wants to make sure they see each other make the big play. And honestly, they say all the time, at the end of the day, it’s not just a team, we’re a family, and they really have that family mentality.”

Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and AK Dear are all back after finishing the 2025 campaign as the Tide’s second-, third- and fourth-leading rushers, respectively. Alabama also brought in a pair of backs from the high school level, EJ Crowell and Trae’shawn Brown, and a transfer, Khalifa Keith. The highest-rated 2026 signee, Crowell missed most of the spring due to an injury.

That created an opportunity for a player like Brown, one of the final additions to Alabama’s 2026 class, to receive reps with the first and second teams. The 3-star made the most of it.

“He had a great spring,” Sanders said of Brown. “Honestly, being able to watch him just grow and make crazy plays throughout spring was awesome. Great attitude, too. Ready to work. Great joking guy — he’ll mess around with you. But overall, he’s awesome.”

Alabama’s running backs have a lot to prove this upcoming season, and as they look to be more explosive, they will likely do so with a chip on their shoulder. But it doesn’t solely fall on them to make sure the run game improves. The offensive line will play a big part in that, too, and the unit wants to be more physical in 2026 under new O-line coach Adrian Klemm’s guidance.

“Big downhill guy,” Sanders said of Klemm. “Big gain ground, get vertical, play on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. And that was one of the first things he said when he met us, and honestly, I love that. Great coach, great guy, and very, very physical intention.”

Not a member, Alabama fans? Join BOL today!

Have you subscribed to BamaOnLine.com yet? You can sign up for ONE MONTH of premium access to our Alabama coverage for just $11.99! Be able to read all of BOL’s premium articles and nuggets covering Alabama sports and recruiting, and also join thousands of other Crimson Tide fans around the globe on the BOL Round Table message board! CLICK HERE!