Jam Miller injury: Kalen DeBoer reveals impact of playing SEC championship without RB

Jam Miller being sidelined is one of the biggest storylines entering Saturday’s SEC Championship between Alabama and Georgia. The Crimson Tide running back is dealing with a leg injury that has kept him out of the contest, but he isn’t the only one.

Backup running back Kevin Riley is also out, meaning Alabama will have to rely on a host of other players to fill in the void. Speaking with ESPN’s Holly Rowe in the pregame, Crimson Tuide coach Kalen DeBoer revealed how he expects those other players to step up.

“They’re actually a little bit different, all of them,” he said. “So they’ll get their opportunities and I’m excited to go ahead and see them play.”

Daniel Hill is expected to step in and receive the bulk of the workload in light of the injuries to Miller and Riley. He enters this contest with 57 carries for 217 yards rushing and five touchdowns in addition to 16 catches for 148 yards and a TD on the season.

Freshman AK Dear could also see more work. He has only 16 carries on the year but has turned three of them into touchdowns.

This matchup will mark the third time in the past five years that Alabama and Georgia have competed in the SEC title game. However, it is the first time DeBoer has coached the Crimson Tide in the conference championship after he took over in 2024. He spoke on what the opportunity means to him.

“It’s something you never take for granted,” he said. “We know how much work it took to get to this spot. We’re excited to watch our guys play.”

This story will be updated.