Alabama football starting running back Jam Miller is listed as “questionable” in the opening availability report on Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide is preparing to take on the 11th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a rivalry matchup this Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
Wednesday’s official availability designation comes as no surprise. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said that Miller would likely be listed as questionable during the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I expect (WR) Derek (Meadows) will be out,” DeBoer said. “And I think Jam, probably what we’ll put would be ‘questionable’ state for the weekend when it comes to the (injury) report tonight. That’s kind of where I see it at right now.”
Miller was injured late in Alabama’s 27-24 win over Missouri last Saturday in Columbia. He entered concussion protocol after suffering a helmet-to-helmet hit near the sideline against the Tigers. Miller exited the game and did not return to the contest for the final 10 minutes.
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While quarterback Ty Simpson has rightfully received the praise for Alabama’s offensive success this season, Miller has helped keep things balanced and keep opponents respectful of the run. The 5-foot-10 running back is Alabama’s leading rusher this season with 267 yards and one touchdown on 58 carries. If Miller can’t go, the Crimson Tide will likely turn to 5-foot-11 freshman Kevin Riley for the starting duties. Riley has 183 yards on 44 carries so far this season.
During a 24-17 loss to Tennessee in the 2024 season, Miller rushed for just 42 yards on 12 carries for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s offense ranks 12th in the conference with 126.5 yards on the ground per game. Tennessee’s defense, meanwhile, ranks 10th in the conference giving up 136 rushing yards per game.
“Obviously, Coach Grubb and Kalen (DeBoer) have been together for a long time,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on Wednesday about Alabama’s offensive coaching staff. “A year ago, you saw a lot of what they’ve done. I think the biggest difference is just the quarterback and style of play. Throughout their history together, they’ve had a lot of different types of quarterbacks and have been able to kind of push it to the skillset of the guy that they have.”
Check out the Wednesday night availability report for both Tennessee and Alabama here.
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