What Alabama running backs are doing to improve in pass protection

Oct 4, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Vanderbilt edge rusher Miles Capers (29) sacks Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson (15) for a loss at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama downed Vanderbilt 30-14. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

In Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma on Saturday, one major issue became apparent: the Tide’s lack of effective pass protection, specifically from the running backs, as quarterback Ty Simpson got sacked four times and fumbled the ball on one of them.

As the Sooners blitzed against the Crimson Tide’s offense more than any other team this season, the Tide’s running backs were going through it in the trenches. Running back Jam Miller received a 23.1 pass block grade after the game, while running back Daniel Hill received criticism after allowing a defender weighing 50 pounds less than him to run him over and sack Simpson.

It was the fifth straight game that Alabama has allowed a strip-sack, which is becoming an increasingly concerning statistic. It’s becoming even more apparent that pass protection needs just as much work as the run blocking.

Miller talked on Tuesday about the pass protection issues on Tuesday.

“It’s a lot, we always got to improve,” Miller said. “I basically take the blame for it from last game. We just got to flush that, work on what we need to work on, and get better.”

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb also spoke on Monday about what steps the team is taking to improve pass protection.

“I think what we told the guys is making sure we’re putting them in enough positions during the week,” Grubb said. “Are we getting enough one-on-one reps with your true one linebackers at pass rush, and if we’re not doing enough of that for the guys, we got to supplement it because when you look at something happen on film and it’s not what you know you’re guys are capable of… the message we try to give to our guys is like, ‘what are we not giving you enough of in practice?’ Not get to the film and MF the guys for stuff they didn’t do. We want to fix the problem, and I know our defense, they’ll want to do more one-on-ones if that’s what we want, and we got to do a better job of that.”

It will need to address these issues critically because if the Tide keeps failing to protect Simpson, then it will keep giving up turnovers and sacks, which are essentially what led to the loss on Saturday.

With Eastern Illinois on Saturday, the Crimson Tide will now have a good opportunity to work on fixing these issues in-game before it faces Auburn, a game that will decide whether or not Alabama makes the SEC Championship.