Alabama running back AK Dear is expected to miss about six weeks after suffering an ankle injury in a preseason scrimmage, putting his chances of winning the starting job on hold before the season begins.
According to Yahoo Sports, coach Kalen DeBoer said Thursday that Dear was injured in the first of the team's two scrimmages and would be evaluated. Tests later confirmed the severity of the injury, with 247Sports and On3 reporting the six-week timetable on Friday.
"It was unfortunate because he was having a real nice scrimmage there with the touches he got," DeBoer said.
Dear, a redshirt freshman from Mississippi, had been competing for the starting role left open by the departure of Jam Miller. In five games last season, he rushed for 140 yards and scored three touchdowns.
With Dear sidelined, the Crimson Tide will look to highly touted freshman Trae'shawn Brown, EJ Crowell, and Daniel Hill to carry the backfield. Hill led the team with six rushing touchdowns in 2025 and figures to see increased early-season workload.
Six weeks would place Dear's return sometime in late September, depending on when the regular season begins.
