Alabama football news: AK Dear gets unfortunate injury update ahead of new season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the quarterback situation, Alabama football fans expect head coach Kalen DeBoer to emphasize the rushing attack early in the 2026 campaign. Well, AK Dear will not be part of that plan for the time being. The redshirt freshman and former four-star recruit “will miss an extended period of time after suffering an ankle injury,” according to Charlie Potter and Pete Nakos of On3.
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Dear rushed five times for 19 yards and three touchdowns last season. He was ranked as the No. 2 RB in the 2025 class, per multiple reputable sites, so he should theoretically be in line for a decent snap share this year. He will need to get healthy first, however. “Freaks List” representative Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley were already set for sizable roles in the backfield, but their workload will get even heavier following the latest news.
DeBoer prides himself on building explosive offenses, so he will ideally be able to navigate around Dear’s absence. Alabama begins a challenging SEC stretch on Oct. 10, as it faces Georgia in Tuscaloosa, Tennessee in Knoxville, Texas A&M at home, LSU at Death Valley and Vanderbilt in Nashville all in succession. The Crimson Tide could probably use Dear for that potentially season-defining slate.
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Pressure is already high following blowout losses to Georgia and Indiana in the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff, respectively. This program is supposed to be a title contender, not get squashed by them. The AK Dear injury update will only add more adversity.
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But this is what people sign up for when they commit to Alabama football. The grind continues, and so does the noise.
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