Alabama brings back one of college football’s most promising backfield duos in junior Jam Miller and sophomore Justice Haynes. Last season, both backs demonstrated impressive vision, speed, and a key ability to break away for big plays during their limited reserve reps. Now as the primary backs, they are poised to deliver good performances and cause serious problems for opposing defenses.
Joining them is redshirt freshman Richard Young, who has gained attention during fall camp. As a former 5-star recruit in the class of 2023, Young was considered one of the nation’s top running backs before committing to the Crimson Tide. Although his opportunities were limited as the fifth back in the rotation last year, Young is expected to have a much larger role in 2024.
At 216 pounds, Young combines power with breakaway speed, making him a threat to deliver explosive plays on the ground. His physicality will add an extra dimension to Alabama’s rushing attack, which is already formidable with Miller, Haynes, and quarterback Jalen Milroe. With the no. 9 jersey, Young may evoke memories of former Bama standout Bo Scarborough as he barrels through defenses.
It’s challenging for Alabama to maintain a true three-headed monster in the backfield, given the limited number of touches available. Despite Nick Saban’s history of rotating deep backfields, the last time Alabama employed a true three-back system was in 2018.
During that season, Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, and Najee Harris each saw over 117 carries and amassed over 640 rushing yards, but none of the three hit the 150-carry mark or approached 1,000 yards. This distribution of carries kept the trio fresh and effective throughout the year.
However, replicating such a rotation with a dual-threat quarterback like Jalen Milroe might be difficult, especially with Milroe’s running ability expected to play a major role in Kalen DeBoer’s offense. On the Cover Crimson podcast, Clint Lamb and Stacey Blackwood delve into the challenges of integrating three backs alongside a rushing QB.
Young’s role may resemble that of 2016 Josh Jacobs, 2019 Keilan Robinson, or Jam Miller over the past few seasons. These players didn’t hold major offensive roles as the third back but were highly efficient when given opportunities, often leading their teams in yards per carry.
Young could easily become that change-of-pace option in Alabama’s 2024 offense, potentially establishing himself as the best RB3 in college football.