"They fit our offense very well": Kalen DeBoer praises Alabama's running back room ahead of 2024 spring games

Alabama had its first scrimmage of spring football on Thursday, offering head coach Kalen DeBoer live assessments of his team's progress after eight practices. The program shoulders a lot of expectations ahead of the upcoming season as it begins life after Nick Saban.

While multiple facets of the team showcased promise, Kalen DeBoer focused on the Crimson Tide's running back unit as an area of interest. He gave a breakdown of the room during his post-scrimmage media availability, noting how they complement the team's offense.

“I think they all can do everything that we want,” DeBoer said. “They fit our offense very well because they can come out of the backfield and catch the ball.

“For these guys, there is a downhill physicality that I think they really have but they have the ability to also make the jumpcut, get to the outside, turn on the speed.”

Kalen DeBoer notes the running back room is one of the team's strengths

While Kalen DeBoer is assessing the team's strengths in practice, he is confident in the running back room. The coach noted that the offense will get the ball to the best players on the gridiron.

“In the backfield, come out and just find a way to get them touches and that’s what our offense really does is find ways to get the ball to its best players in space. The running back position, especially right now for us, is certainly a strength when it comes to the athleticism.”

It's interesting that the Crimson Tide's running back room remains strong, despite the loss of leading rusher Jase McClellan to the NFL and Roydell Williams to Florida State this offseason.

Running back quality is constant throughout the depth chart

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Kalen DeBoer noted that there's not much difference in the abilities of Alabama's running back options. This is undoubtedly a huge advantage for the team, as the position does attract a lot of contact and injuries.

“There’s not a lot of different qualities. You can say one guy does this a little bit differently or better, but in the end, I feel like the offense can operate with all of them and you really don’t have to change what you’re doing based on who’s in the backfield.”

The running back room is headlined by Jam Miller and Justice Haynes as they hold the most playing experience in the unit. Miller recorded 201 yards and a touchdown in 41 carries last campaign, while Haynes went for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns in 25 rushing attempts.