CFB analyst Josh Pate makes bold claim about Jam Miller after Kalen DeBoer gave major update on Alabama RB's injury

Alabama running back Jam Miller sustained an upper-body injury during Saturday’s scrimmage and underwent a procedure that evening, according to coach Kalen DeBoer. The HC said Miller is expected to make a full recovery, but a timeline for his return has not yet been set.

The injury is a big blow for Alabama in DeBoer’s second season, as Miller, now in his fourth year, is the program's leading returning rusher.

However, football analyst Josh Pate remains optimistic about Miller's comeback.

"I expect Jam Miller to be ready by SEC play," Pate tweeted. Having an excellent camp - good opportunity for young guys in the meantime."

In 2024, the 5-foot-10 and 221-pound Miller carried the ball 145 times for 668 yards and seven touchdowns, while also contributing 155 receiving yards. Over three seasons in Tuscaloosa, he has totaled 219 carries for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb praised Miller earlier this month, saying he has been handling everything exceptionally well for 2025.

Meanwhile, Justice Haynes, last season’s second-leading rusher for Alabama, transferred to Michigan in January. As a sophomore, he finished third on the program with 448 yards, 5.7 yards per carry and seven touchdowns.

Insiders give update on Jam Miller's injury

In Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach following Nick Saban, Alabama finished 9-4 in 2024. As the Crimson Tide aim to rebound from the season, sources told ESPN that Jam Miller is expected to miss the season opener against Florida State on Aug. 30.

On3’s Brett McMurphy added further detail on Miller’s status in a tweet:

"Alabama starting RB Jam Miller suffered collerbone injury Saturday & is out indefinitely, sources told @On3sports. Alabama is "hopeful" Miller can return by Georgia game on Sept. 27, source said."

If that timeline holds, DeBoer would be without his starting back for just three games: the opener on Aug. 30 and home games against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 6 and Wisconsin on Sept. 13.

With Miller sidelined, players Richard Young, Daniel Hill and Dre Washington are expected to see increased playing time in the first three games.

Alabama will enter the 2025 season ranked No. 8 in the AP preseason college football Top 25.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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