Alabama Suffers Unfortunate Injury Setback Before Week 1 Game Against Florida State originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In 2024, the Alabama Crimson Tide finished 9-4 overall in the first year under head coach Kalen DeBoer. The season ended with a 19-13 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Since then, plenty of players have left, with quarterback Jalen Milroe, now in the NFL, being one of the biggest departures.
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Last season, running back Jam Miller was the second-leading rusher on the team behind only Milroe, and Miller was expected to be a major force in the Crimson Tide offense. Miller ran for 668 yards with seven touchdowns on 145 carries a year ago, and his role was expected to be even greater after Justice Haynes left for Michigan.
Alabama Dealt Unfortunate Injury Setback with Star RB
However, Saturday’s scrimmage left Alabama with some unfortunate injury news regarding Miller.
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“Alabama running back Jam Miller will miss at least the season-opening game at Florida State and could be out longer after suffering an upper-body injury during Saturday’s scrimmage, sources told Bama247,” 247Sports’ Alex Scarborough wrote.
DeBoer also released a statement on Miller’s injury on Sunday, per Mike Rodak of 247Sports.
“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,” DeBoer said.
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DeBoer did not specify the nature of the injury beyond calling it an “upper-body” injury, but for now, Miller is expected to miss some time, which is a tough blow for the Crimson Tide.
Who Can Replace Jam Miller?
Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jam Miller (26) runs against Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Kamari Lassiter (3).John David Mercer-Imagn Images
With Week 1 just two weeks away, it is an untimely injury for Alabama. It remains to be seen exactly how long Miller will be out.
The immediate replacements will be some form of Richard Young, Daniel Hill, Dre Washington, AK Dear or Kevin Riley. A year ago, Miller was the team’s leading rusher for all running backs, with Haynes behind him.
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After that, Young had just 27 carries for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Hill had 21 carries for 61 yards and one score. Riley only had 10 total carries for 30 yards, so it was Miller who was expected to carry a heavy workload for his senior season.
Ty Simpson was recently named the starting quarterback, and Ryan Grubb is in Tuscaloosa in his first season as the offensive coordinator. As such, Miller’s loss is a concerning one for the team and the new-look offense that has a new QB and new OC entering DeBoer’s second season as head coach.
Alabama begins the year at Florida State at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 30 on ABC, and it remains to be seen exactly how long Miller will be out.
Related: Ty Simpson Reacts to Being Named Alabama’s Starting QB
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
