Alabama’s football program announced that leading rusher Jam Miller will miss the season opener against Florida State due to an upper-body injury sustained during Saturday’s scrimmage.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer released this statement confirming the injury:
“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.”
The injury comes as a surprise since DeBoer mentioned after Saturday’s practice that several players were “beat up” but didn’t specifically name Miller among the sidelined players.
Miller had been performing at a high level during fall camp. Reports indicated he was leading Alabama’s deep running back group and looked ready for a breakout season.
Daniel Hill emerges as the likely replacement, though many fans aren’t familiar with the running back yet. Coaches have praised both his running ability and blocking skills throughout camp.
Richard Young represents another option after seeing limited action in garbage time last season.
Andre Washington, the transfer from Louisiana, brings the most experience among the remaining candidates and could factor into the rotation immediately.
The Crimson Tide’s depth at running back should help absorb Miller’s absence in the short term. But losing their top rusher two weeks before the season opener creates unexpected uncertainty in the backfield.
DeBoer’s staff now has limited time to prepare the replacement running backs for a high-profile matchup against Florida State. The timeline for Miller’s return remains unclear, though the full recovery projection offers hope he’ll contribute significantly this season.
Alabama opens its 2024 campaign against Florida State in just two weeks.
