Kalen DeBoer hints toward elite freshman being a solution to team's woeful weakness

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Could a top-100 freshman from the 2025 recruiting class give Kalen DeBoer the help at running back he's been desperately looking for? The Alabama Crimson Tide might be finding out sooner rather than later. Five-star rusher AK Dear posted a teaser earlier this week that he's ready to play, and DeBoer addressed the possibility of Dear playing after.

Alabama’s ground game has been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season. Once a hallmark of Crimson Tide football, the rushing attack has sputtered, ranking 119th nationally and failing to crack 100 yards in four of nine games. The struggles have forced Alabama to lean heavily on its passing game and abandon the run in critical moments.

Here's what Dear and DeBoer said on Wednesday.

AK Dear could help solve Alabama's awful running game

Despite constant shuffling along the offensive line and experimenting with personnel, Alabama hasn’t found a consistent spark. Head coach Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the issue during his SEC coaches call, noting the team’s urgency to revive the run game as it prepares for a pivotal matchup against No. 11 Oklahoma.

One name that keeps surfacing is true freshman AK Dear. A former five-star recruit from Quitman, Mississippi, Dear was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the 2025 class and No. 3 overall player in his state. At 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, he brings size and explosiveness—traits Alabama desperately needs.

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Dear showcased that potential in Week 2 against ULM, ripping off a 56-yard touchdown run, the longest by any Tide player this season. He finished that game with 76 yards on five carries and added two more attempts for nine yards against Wisconsin before disappearing from the rotation.

Dear’s limited usage isn’t due to injury; Alabama has simply tightened its depth chart. Still, his efficiency is eye-catching: seven carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, averaging 12.1 yards per attempt.

DeBoer hinted that Dear could play a bigger role soon: “AK does a nice job every single day. Feel like the growth is there; we saw enough of him early to know he’s an explosive player. He’s gonna be a guy who, in our future, sooner and later, that continues to help our football team. I think he’s getting more and more comfortable with being here.”

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Senior Jam Miller leads the team with 321 yards and two touchdowns, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. His season has been marred by injuries—he missed the first three games and exited the Missouri win with a concussion. Behind him, freshman Kevin Riley has 186 yards but has seen his role diminish over the past three weeks.

Sophomore Daniel Hill is the only other back over 100 yards, sitting at 104 with two scores. Beyond that, contributions have come from unconventional sources like wide receiver Germie Bernard, quarterback Ty Simpson, and even the “Krispy” jumbo package featuring left tackle Kadyn Proctor.

With Alabama sitting at 8-1 and clinging to College Football Playoff hopes, the timing couldn’t be more critical. The Tide hosts Oklahoma on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC) in a top-10 showdown. The Sooners boast one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, allowing just 2.49 yards per carry and four rushing touchdowns all season.

If Alabama wants to control the game and keep Ty Simpson from shouldering the entire offensive load, it needs a jolt in the backfield—and AK Dear might be the answer.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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