The Alabama Crimson Tide, after regressing to 9 wins under Kalen DeBoer last year, is looking to leap forward in 2025. To do that, the team has one of the best receivers in college football, Ryan Williams, along with the promise of the talent that Ty Simpson offers. The defense also looks well-oiled with the likes of Overton and Tim Keenan III, along with Keon Sabb and Zabien Brown in the secondary. But in the RB room? Things aren’t looking so optimistic.

According to recent reports, Bama’s ace running back Jam Miller has suffered an upper-body injury in the second scrimmage of the fall camp. The road to recovery for the running back has been doubtful until now, except that Kalen DeBoer has now cleared the air. “Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s scrimmage and went in for a procedure on Saturday evening. Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined,” said Kalen DeBoer. Still, what should be the timeline of Miller’s return?

Miller is a crucial piece in the puzzle of Bama’s playoff hopes for the 2025 season. Last year, the guy notched up 668 rushing yards while also showing his dual threat prowess, receiving for 155 yards and a TD. Miller’s absence then is bound to hurt Alabama’s RB room, which has Richard Young, Daniel Hill, freshman AK Dear, and Dre Washington coming from Louisiana. While Dre Washington and Richard have some experience from last year, replacing the production of Miller would still be a big ask. But there might be a silver lining, too.

After ON3 posted the news of Miller’s injury on X, prominent CFB analyst Josh Pate responded to the news and relayed optimism regarding Miller’s comeback for Kalen DeBoer. “I expect Jam Miller to be ready by SEC play. Having an excellent camp – good opportunity for young guys in the meantime,” wrote Josh Pate on X. So, it looks like Miller’s return would be sooner than expected.

Alabama is facing FSU on 30th August in Week 1 and will go on to face UL Monroe from the Sun Belt conference. After that, the Week 3 matchup is against Big 10’s Wisconsin,  in which Bama might not even need the services of Miller. So, it seems their first SEC game against Georgia on the road in Week 4 will be the one when we could see Miller making a comeback. And mind you, Miller’s comeback is as important as one could imagine for Kalen DeBoer.

Kalen DeBoer lays out a plan to tackle the absence of Jam Miller

Apart from Miller’s 2024 season heroics, he has also been a consistent player for Alabama. For context, the running back has started in 40 games till now, and has had 200+ yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. Even Kalen DeBoer had stressed the importance of Miller right before the fall camp and expected him to start. However, now, the head coach touts having an RB room filled with players who can step up if presented with an opportunity as a positive point.

“Sure, you’ve got Rich Young, Daniel Hill coming back also. I feel like those guys were healthier than they probably ever were last season, throughout the year. Then Dre, Dre Washington. I thought he had a really nice practice today. But, in the end, it’s not like someone is so much different that it affects who’s in there. We’re just teaching them all the offense,” declared Kalen DeBoer. The verdict?

Miller’s injury does come amid Kalen DeBoer trying to keep the spotlight away from his 2024 season and going for a playoff qualification, presenting a mounting challenge. But with some initiative, Dre Washington, who rushed for 478 yards last season and 515 yards in 2023, can surely take up the mantle. At least until Miller potentially recovers before the Georgia game as Josh Pate predicted.