Will Alabama true freshman running back AK Dear see snaps against Auburn?

Nov 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) waltzes into the endzone during the second half against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images

Alabama football’s true freshman running back, AK Dear saw the most substantial amount of playing time of his young career against the Eastern Illinois Panthers on Saturday.

Dear is a former four-star recruit and is a product of Quitman High School in Mississippi.

The true freshman carried the football nine times against the Panthers and picked up 45 yards en route to getting into the endzone two times. Some of those runs came behind the Tide’s starting offensive line.

ANOTHER RUSHING TD😤 pic.twitter.com/LLSUkSAelL

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 22, 2025

Kalen DeBoer was asked his thoughts on how Dear played Monday during his press conference.

“Just when he gets out there, you can see the things he can do explosive-wise, ball in his hands and getting more reps, and I thought Saturday was a great opportunity for him, and so he took advantage of it,” DeBoer said. “Another freshman that has a great future for us in our program.”

Alabama intentionally put an emphasis on running the football against Eastern Illinois to get more reps as an offensive unit. It carried the football almost 50 times against the Panthers.

The Tide has struggled to run the football consistently over the last few weeks. Dear has not been a part of those struggles because he has the last time he carried the football before Saturday was against Wisconsin in September.

It will be interesting to monitor if Dear’s play against the Panthers earned he some meaningful snaps with.