If Alabama fans needed a visual reminder of just how broken their offense had been in 2025, the Rose Bowl delivered one they won’t forget. Kalen DeBoer and co. closed out their season with a humiliating 38-3 loss to eventual national champions Indiana, which had them physically overmatched by halftime. The final score said the Tide rushed for just 23 total yards while Indiana rushed for 215.

The biggest pressure fell on Ty Simpson and the passing game. But there’s one constant issue that has been present since Game 1. Kalen DeBoer’s run game seems to have collapsed this past season. And that’s exactly where former Alabama All-American OL Mike Johnson thinks the problem is. 

“One of the things that I hated about watching our offense try to run the ball was the timing,” Mike Johnson told The Millers’ Edge on Tide 100.9. “I think you guys on the defensive side called it being in phase, depending on how close the blocker was to the running back and whether or not you were trying to put hands on a blocker or get around the blocker and things like that.”

He explained that Alabama’s blockers and RBs were rarely “in phase,” leading to runs that were dead on arrival. 

“You want the phasing, the timing of it to be really, really good,” he added. “But the timing was always so bad.”

Mike Johnson didn’t stop at the timing scheme. He also questioned the depth. 

“I do think that there was less talent this year at the running back stable than we’ve had in some time,” he said. 

He acknowledged liking Jam Miller but believes the RB room lacked the high-end ability Alabama fans had grown accustomed to. He pointed to past backs like Damien Harris, who could bounce outside, beat a corner one-on-one, and flip field position instantly. Fans didn’t see that trait consistently in 2025, which is even more important when blocking isn’t perfect because great RBs can erase minor mistakes.

Mike Johnson was also blunt about OC Ryan Grubb’s role. He noted Grubb’s struggles to run the ball in Seattle carried over to Tuscaloosa, referencing how the Seahawks media openly questioned his future because of those issues. 

“One of the talking points of the Seattle Seahawks’ media going through that week was how Ryan Grubb was going to be fired because he could not figure out how to run the ball in Seattle,” he said. “And when he was announced in Tuscaloosa, I was like, ‘Man, I hope he figures out how to run the ball because he really didn’t do a good job of it up in Seattle.’”

The results did little to ease those doubts. Alabama finished the SEC Championship Game against Georgia with minus-three rushing yards, even after accounting for sacks. The RBs combined for just 21 yards. It was the school’s worst rushing output since managing six yards against LSU in 2021 and the worst overall performance since the 1968 Gator Bowl. The Tide ranked 123rd nationally, averaging just 104.1 rushing yards per game. No RB carried more than 20 times while averaging over 3.9 yards per attempt. 

Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the issue publicly, pointing to injuries along the offensive line and the lack of continuity up front. He emphasized health, patience, and incremental improvement, citing games against Oklahoma and Auburn as evidence of progress. But patience is a tough sell when the season ends with a 35-point CFP loss and historic rushing ineptitude staring back at you. So what now? 

Kalen DeBoer is trying to fix the offense

Alabama has already made its first move, parting ways with O-line coach Chris Kapilovic. In his place, they brought in Adrian Klemm, who brings NFL experience, including a stint under Bill Belichick, and most recently worked as an analyst at USC. Given that the Tide allowed the most pressures in the SEC while finishing near the bottom in rushing, the change was understandable. The result of this hire will define Kalen DeBoer’s next season.

The backfield will look different, too. 5-star freshman EJ Crowell arrives with hype, and AK Dear remains an intriguing name after barely seeing the field. Ryan Grubb praised Dear’s development, pointing to how far he’s come in protection and understanding the offense. He finished 2025 with three touchdowns.

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Alabama can’t chase another national title until it fixes this. The CFP loss exposed a systemic issue. And if the run game looks anything like 2025 again, the questions around Kalen DeBoer will only get louder.