Nick Saban opens up about Alabama's depth at running back as training camp opens

While most of the attention goes to the quarterback competition at Alabama, the running back position is one to watch in 2023. The Crimson Tide have multiple contributors back — not to mention a highly touted freshman — and Nick Saban called that the deepest position on the roster on Thursday.

Saban spoke highly of both the returning players and newcomers at running back as training camp got underway. Jase McClellan is the top returner after ranking second on the Crimson Tide in rushing last year with 655 yards behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Williams finished fourth on the team with 250 yards on the ground.

But the biggest piece might be freshman Justice Haynes, who has gotten plenty of praise from Saban this offseason. That’s why the Alabama head coach is so confident in the position.

“I actually think there’s four guys in the running back room that have really done a good job,” Saban said. “Jase has been a really good leader, Roydell has always set a really good example. He’s a good special teams player as well as a good runner. Loves to play on teams, loves to do whatever he can to help the team. Jase has really stepped up and set a good example. And the two young players — [Justice] and Jam [Miller] — have done really, really well too. Of course, we have a new addition, the new freshman, but he’s probably a little bit behind the other guys just from a learning curve standpoint.

“But I like all those guys. I think they all have great attitude and I think that’s one of the strongest positions from a depth standpoint on our team.”

Haynes was a key piece of Alabama’s top-ranked recruiting class this year. A four-star recruit, he came in as the No. 33-ranked player in the country from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He could be a key piece at running back for Saban and Alabama as the Crimson Tide looks to build its ground game back up.

Alabama has relied heavily on the pass game over the last five years, meaning the running game hasn’t put up the numbers it did in 2017. That was the last season the Crimson Tide averaged 200 rushing yards per game. But with uncertainty at the quarterback position — not to mention how Saban talks about Haynes — it could be a big year for Alabama running backs once again.