No program plans for a gut punch in mid-August, but Alabama just took one to the ribs. Jam Miller, the Tide’s most experienced RB, went down in Saturday’s scrimmage, a 105-play slugfest at Bryant-Denny. By Sunday morning, Kalen DeBoer had confirmed surgery with no timetable. “Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined,” he said. Just a thud of uncertainty. 

At least, the good news is that this isn’t a season-ending scenario. On3 reported the hope is a late-September return, maybe even for that Georgia showdown. But the bad news is that Jam Miller, who ran for 668 yards and seven TDs last season, won’t be around to open the season against Florida State. And that leaves a question hanging in Tuscaloosa. Who’s the replacement?

Kalen DeBoer didn’t waste much time pointing the spotlight to a potential replacement, as Alabama insider Nick Kelly reported on X on August 17, “Guy to watch closely w/ Jam Miller out for foreseeable future is Daniel Hill.” Hill, a 6’1, 244-pound sophomore, had been turning heads all camp, and apparently, he’s ready for the show. Drawing comparisons to 6’2, 252-pound former Alabama RB Derrick Henry, danger is what he plans to radiate as he said, “Having the man in front of me fear that I’m coming so you have a plan when you tackle me.” And when an RB at Alabama gets compared to NFL King Henry, people perk up.

If you don’t already know who Daniel Hill models himself after, he’ll tell you straight that it’s Derrick Henry. The sophomore has studied the Heisman winner’s physicality and even echoed his mindset. “Just growing up, watching him, from Alabama to the NFL — that’s somebody that I can really mirror myself as and take things from his game and put into my game,” he said. That blend of size, reps, and Henry-like mentality makes him the next man up, and he’s leaning hard into the role.

Kalen DeBoer doubled down Sunday. “Daniel Hill is a guy we’re getting more and more comfortable with,” he said via AL.com. “He’s a big back, but I think he’s deceiving when it comes to what he does from a skillset standpoint because he can catch the b— out of the backfield.” His freshman numbers weren’t flashy. He only had 61 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown across nine games, but they showed trust. He even chipped in on special teams, proving he’s more than a practice-field project. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb echoed the confidence. “Physical runner. Very nimble,” he said. “For how big he is, he can stick his foot in the ground and get vertical.” But of course, this is Alabama. The cupboard isn’t bare. 

Richard Young, who flashed with 146 yards and two scores last season, has reportedly tightened up his pass protection. Louisiana transfer Dre Washington brings 478 yards and five touchdowns’ worth of experience. Top recruit AK Dear waits in the wings. But the way Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb talk, it feels like it’s Daniel Hill’s job to lose. And if anyone thinks this is uncharted territory for the second-year Bama HC, they haven’t been paying attention to his track record when adversity hits.

Kalen DeBoer’s history repeats

This isn’t the first time Kalen DeBoer’s offense has stared down a preseason gut check. Back in 2023, Washington lost its top returning rusher, Cameron Davis, just before kickoff weekend. He had been a 13-touchdown machine the year before, and his loss looked devastating at the time. But DeBoer and Ryan Grubb, who were also at Washington at the time, didn’t flinch. They turned to Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson, who wasn’t a household name but became one by December. 

Dillon Johnson carried 233 times for 1,195 yards and 16 touchdowns while catching 24 passes for another 190 yards. Washington stormed their way into the national championship game behind its bruising balance. The lesson here is that Kalen DeBoer’s system doesn’t collapse when the starter goes down. It adapts, redistributes the load, and often uncovers a breakout star. 

Alabama fans are hoping history rhymes in Tuscaloosa, where Jam Miller’s absence could open the door for Daniel Hill to script his own Dillon Johnson-style emergence. That’s why the question hanging over the Tide isn’t whether the offense will stall. It’s whether Daniel can be Dillon, the next man to carry a championship chase on his back.