2023 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Running Backs

With a mix of experienced veterans and young talent, Alabama could have its deepest running back room since 2017.

With questions at quarterback and a different system on offense under new  coordinator Tommy Rees, Alabama will be relying on its running backs more this upcoming season than in the previous few. 

The good news for Crimson Tide fans is that Alabama is loaded at the position with a good mix of experienced veterans and young talent that creates solid depth. 

This could be head coach Nick Saban's most loaded running back room since 2017 when the Crimson Tide backfield featured Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, Bo Scarborough and Brian Robinson Jr. All five of those guys were eventually drafted in the NFL.

The 2023 Alabama running back group was one Saban was consistently confident about throughout the spring. 

"As long as we can stay healthy at that position, I don’t think that’s an issue on our team," Saban said back in April. 

Alabama did lose its leading rusher from a season ago with Jahmyr Gibbs going in the first round of the NFL draft to the Detroit Lions. However, his two primary backups, Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams, are back for their senior seasons. 

The senior duo offers different skillsets at the position with McClellan possessing a little more speed and Williams showing a little more power. McClellan has shouldered a heavier workload in the past and will be considered the top back coming into the season, but both provide veteran leadership among the group. 

One of the players at any position who garnered the most hype throughout the spring was freshman Justice Haynes. The early enrollee came to Tuscaloosa highly-touted as one of the best running backs in his class. Look for Haynes to make his mark early and often, joining a long line of successful freshman Alabama running backs. 

"Justice has had a great spring," Saban said after Alabama's second scrimmage. "He’s a really good player. He’s a really mature guy. He’s really smart. Nothing’s really too big for him. He goes out there and competes, and if you are just a guy sitting on a log watching, you would never know he’s a freshman. So he's a very talented guy."

The other two lesser known, but equally talented scholarship backs on the Alabama roster are sophomore Jam Miller and freshman Richard Young. Miller mainly got playing time on special teams or in blowouts last season, but showed flashes of his potential, including his 38-yard run in the Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State. Young is was the near the top of the recruiting rankings alongside Haynes in the 2023 class, but did not enroll early. 

Both Miller and Young will be provide depth at the position and have plenty of skill to display when called upon this season. 

Overall, as Saban said in the spring, this is one position group that raises little concern and should provide major help on offense for whoever wins the job at quarterback.

Projected Depth Chart

1. Jase McClellan (Sr.)
2. Roydell Williams (Sr.)
3. Jam Miller (So.)
4. Justice Haynes (Fr.) or Richard Young (Fr.)

2023 Crimson Tide Running Backs

Jase McClellan

Senior, 5'11" 212 lbs

A contributor for Alabama since his freshman season in 2020, and the Crimson Tide's second-leading rusher a season ago with 655 yards and seven touchdowns. McClellan is also a pass-catching threat out of the backfield with nearly 300 yards and six receiving touchdowns. His sophomore season was cut short five games in by a knee injury, but McClellan returned to full health last season. The senior should carry a heavy workload as Alabama's most-experienced rusher this season. 

Roydell Williams

Senior, 5'10" 214 lbs

Like McClellan, Williams also suffered a knee injury in his sophomore season. Williams was mainly used in short-yardage situations late in the year last season as Alabama's most powerful running back. There was only one game in 2022 (Austin Peay) where he had double-digit carries. He finished the year with 56 carries for 250 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his four touchdowns came in the final four games of the regular season. 

Jam Miller

Sophomore, 5'10" 211 lbs

Miller saw playing time in all 13 games of his freshman season; however, some of them were just on special teams. He was buried on the depth chart last season behind Gibbs, McClellan and Williams, so usually did not get into games on offense until the Crimson Tide had put an opponent away. His best game came against Vanderbilt with 63 yards and two touchdowns. Miller finished the season with 33 carries for 223 yards. 

Justice Haynes

Freshman, 5'11" 205 lbs

A highly-rated running back, given five stars by On3 and 247Sports and named the No. 1 running back in the country by Rivals. Haynes was snatched out of Georgia's back yard as a Bulldog legacy as the son of Verron Haynes. The freshman enrolled early in the spring and turned heads in the A-Day game with 64 total yards and three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving.)

Richard Young

Freshman, 5'11" 200 lbs

Ranked the No. 2 running back in the country by ESPN and 25th overall prospect in Sports Illustrated's SI99. He was rated the No. 3 running back by 247Sports. Young is the lone scholarship running back who was not present during spring practice and arrived over the summer to begin workouts with the team.