By admin 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- Kalen DeBoer can picture it in his mind, literally. The Alabama head coach was sent a picture back near the beginning of the spring semester of junior running back Daniel Hill going over the playbook and offensive scheme with newly-enrolled freshman running back EJ Crowell.
Read more Paco Lopez Suspended One Day For Crop Use
Knowing that he would later be in a competition for reps with Crowell throughout the fall, Hill still wanted what was best for his teammate and team.
“It says a lot about who Daniel is, and that he’s a team player, and a guy’s who’s, I guess, in competition for his position, that he’s willing to help,” DeBoer said. “That’s what you want. You want guys winning jobs when others are at their best.”
Hill is coming off his first 100-yard performance in a Crimson Tide uniform with his 104 yards on the ground and a touchdown in No. 10 Alabama’s 45-17 win over Kentucky. It was also the first time an Alabama running back hit the 100-yard mark since Jam Miller did so last season in Game 5 against Vanderbilt.
“I put a lot of work in this offseason,” Hill said after the game. “Big shoutout to Coach Ballou and my dietician for getting my body ready for games like this. It was a physical game, physical environment. Kentucky’s a good team, so I knew I had to be ready to carry the load.”
In a running back room with a lot of young talent, including Crowell, who was a 5-star coming out of Jackson High School, Hill has created and earned his own opportunity to lead the Crimson Tide’s ground game. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said there were a lot of question marks around Hill when the OC arrived in Tuscaloosa prior to the 2025 season.
“He was injured and what’s this guy all about, and all the normal things with young players,” Grubb said. “Daniel went through his first spring ball, played with an injured shoulder all the way through and had surgery afterwards. And then just to watch Daniel at a walk-through or a practice, and his communication skills, his leadership, his attention to detail, understanding I’m on the ball, in an empty formation, signaling it to the receiver. It’s awesome.
“That’s the stuff you want to coach for is to see guys like Daniel Hill that No. 1 grow in their role and earn it, quite frankly. Daniel has come in, and nothing has been given to him, and he earned every carry he got in the football game, and just to watch the confidence he runs with. His footwork, his detail on his read, and then his decisiveness in the hole is honestly one of the things I thought he improved probably the most in the offseason.”
Read more USC Trojans Flash Three Areas of Optimism and Three Concerns After Week 2
After a mistake-filled first half, Alabama was able to wear down the Kentucky defense with the rushing attack, and Hill led the charge. It also opened things up for sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell in the passing game.
Through the Crimson Tide’s first two games, Hill leads the team with 27 carries for 151 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and three touchdowns. He also has four receptions. Hill only had 284 yards last year over the entire season while averaging just 3.8 yards per carry.
“He’s earned every carry he’s gotten, and he’s worked hard for it,” DeBoer said of Hill. “I’m excited. I’m happy for his success because he’s worked and stayed the course. Could have gotten down a year ago, but back this year doing the things. You can see, he’s one of the guys who’s improved the most on the football team.”
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok for the latest Alabama news.
Today’s best reads
- Alabama Film Analysis: Keelon’s Highs and Lows, a Dominant Run Game, and More From Lexington
- What We Learned from Alabama’s Blowout Win over East Carolina: Tide Takeaways
- Tide Up, Tide Down for No. 12 Alabama’s Road Victory Over Kentucky
- ‘Everyone Knows That Was BS’: Alabama Center on Holding Call That Wiped Off Long TD
- No. 12 Alabama Overcomes Ugly Start To Pull Away For SEC Road Win Over Kentucky
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Daniel Hill ‘Earned Every Carry’ to Lead Alabama’s Rushing Attack.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Read more ‘Delighted’-Clarity Provided Over Liverpool’s Ronald Araujo Purchase Option
This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 10:20 AM.