DeBoer asked how he feels Alabama RB Jam Miller has played this season

Oct 4, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama running back Jam Miller (26) reacts after scoring a late touchdown to seal the victory at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama downed Vanderbilt 30-14. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

As the Crimson Tide has made its way through the season, it has improved plenty, but there’s still one glaring issue that’s been consistent all season: the run game. It has struggled to get going in practically every game this year.

Part of the issue has been the run blocking; it hasn’t been the best. And even with a talented, deep running back room, finishing games with less than 100 rushing yards has become the norm for the Tide.

Jam Miller, the starting running back for Alabama, has not exactly had the season he had hoped for, as he currently sits with 348 yards and just two touchdowns on 97 carries, which comes out to a 3.6 yards per carry average.

As the Tide prepares for Eastern Illinois on Saturday, head coach Kalen DeBoer evaluated Miller’s play up to this point.

“I think there’s a lot that Jam brings to us,” DeBoer said. “There’s improvement, I think that’s happened here, again the last weekend. Everyone points to the offensive line. I think there’s improvement with the running backs. They’re going to miss a seam once in a while; we understand that. We’re going to miss a block once in a while; that’s football, I mean, that’s every team… He let a bit too much penetration get through on pass protection early in the game. He and Ty [Simpson] working together, along with the offensive line, we took a sack there on one of the first series in the game, but those are things that he’s superb at and does a great job, and I’m not going to lose trust. We just got to continue to put him in spots in practice in all of these ways, whether he’s carrying the ball or not, to where there’s good flow, there’s good rhythm, there’s good confidence for everyone.”

Pass protection was an issue for the Crimson Tide on Saturday, but it’s one that the team hopes to work on in practice throughout the week. It will need to ensure that its issues are resolved before it faces Auburn a week from Saturday.

Miller will look to improve not just in his pass blocking, but also in his ability to run the ball affectively and hit open gaps, something that the running backs also struggled with in the loss to the Sooners on Saturday.