Who leads Alabama football in rushing yards this fall?

Running the football is an area where the Crimson Tide must improve this fall if it wants to make a run at a National Championship.

The Crimson Tide returns a trio of backs in Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and AK Dear.

EJ Crowell and Trae’shawn Brown joined Alabama’s roster via the high school ranks, and Khalifa Keith transferred to Alabama from App State.

With this collection of talent in Alabama’s backfield, who steps up and becomes the lead back in Tuscaloosa this fall?

The answer to this question could easily be a variety of names, but the early favorite is likely Daniel Hill. The Meridian, Mississippi product is coming off a season where he earned more playing time as the season progressed. He entered the season banged up, and as a result, he weighed more than he would like. A healthy offseason allowed Hill to drop a significant amount of weight, and he shared he felt a lot faster during spring practices.

“I feel good,” Hill said. “I feel way faster. My body feels better, like all the little nack injuries, things like that. I’m not having those anymore. Just, I just feel better as a whole.”

Alabama running back Daniel Hill moving at eight pounds lighter. @TDAlabamaMag pic.twitter.com/7y1yToiLOw

— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) March 12, 2026

Riley is the running back many feel the Tide will lean on to pair with Hill this season. Riley got off to a solid start to his 2025 campaign, and he started two games before suffering an injury against Eastern Illinois late in the season. The injury kept him out to the Rose Bowl. Dear saw more playing time while Riley was sidelined. Tabbed as an explosive weapon out of the backfield, Dear flashed a little last fall.

Alabama football’s offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb highlighted all three of the Tide’s returning backs during the spring.

“I look at the guys that have been there, Daniel and Kevin… even their preparation and their mindset right now is really different,” Grubb said. “I mean, just Daniel looks great. He’s hovering in the low 230s. Last year at this time, he was probably in the 250s, and he just looks quicker, more powerful, sudden. And Kevin’s got another step to him right now. I think that competition in the room with those guys and A.K. Dear is really the whole room has gotten better.”

A pair of the Tide’s two new faces could break out and find their names in this conversation. Brown showed why he could have a bright future this spring with the elusiveness and playmaking ability he put on display during A-Day while Crowell was sidelined with a soft-tissue injury. However, a healthy Crowell could show why he was rated as a five-star recruit and make a big jump in fall camp to see early playing time in Tuscaloosa.

Kalen DeBoer revealed the Tide remains confident in Crowell after A-Day.

“With EJ, just not a lot of reps the first couple practices and really nothing since,” DeBoer said during his press conference after A-Day. “So, it is you’re going off of what you saw there and you have optimism. There’s a lot to learn for him, even just the contact, the physicality that comes along with the next level up. But from athleticism, speed, got the strength, you’re optimistic. There’s a lot of promise.”

Keith is not likely to lead Alabama on the ground, but at 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, a goal-line package for him is not out of the realm of thinking.