Alabama football announced the return of true freshman running back AK Dear through its NIL initiative, Yea Alabama.
Dear signed with Alabama as a four-star recruit out of Quitman High School in Mississippi. He played in five games for the Tide in 2025 as a true freshman. His most meaningful playing time came against Auburn in the Iron Bowl and Georgia in the SEC Championship.
The Mississippi native finished his first year at Alabama with 140 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. His longest rush of the season was against ULM when he broke free for a 56-yard touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN TIDE 🚨
Freshman AK Dear bursts for a 56-yard rushing TD!
Alabama now up 72-0 over UL Monroe. 🐘🔥pic.twitter.com/Wc2QZ4o0cK
— AlabamaMuse (@AlabamaMuse_) September 7, 2025
Dear joins Daniel Hill as the Crimson Tide running backs who have publicly revealed they will be with the Tide in 2026. Kevin Riley looks to be returning, but he has not made a public announcement.
Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
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