Even though Justice Haynes entered the Transfer Portal, Alabama’s running back room is still in good shape.

On Friday, Alabama junior running back Justice Haynes went through the Transfer Portal. Haynes was Alabama’s No. 2 running back in 2024, but he didn’t have the big year he was hoping for in Tuscaloosa. With an even more crowded running back room expected in 2025, Haynes will do well to find a place where he can be a star player.

During the season, Haynes ran 79 times for 448 yards and scored seven scores. 5.7 yards per run was the best on the team. As the season went on, it was clear that Haynes was losing more and more carries to Jam Miller. To begin with, there weren’t many carries to go around because Jalen Milroe was used as a quarterback for the run game.

A lot of people will be let down by this move. For the 2023 class, Haynes was a big draw. That 5-star prospect from Buford, Georgia, picked the Tide over the Bulldogs from his home state. The potential he brought to Tuscaloosa and showed as a freshman never came true in a rough sophomore year.

Haynes is likely to do better in a system that fits his skills better, but Alabama will be fine without him too. Even after he leaves, the Crimson Tide will still have one of the best RB groups in the country.

At this point, it looks like Jam Miller will be back for his final year. Some recruiting services thought that Richard Young, a sophomore, was better than Haynes. When given the chance in 2024, Young showed what he could do. The Tide will be fine next year if he is their No. 2 running back.

The Tide signed two four-star running backs last year: Kevin Riley and Daniel Hill. After a year in the system, both should be ready to play next season. The Crimson Tide also signed AK Dear from Mississippi, who was ranked as the No. 2 running back in the country in 2025.

Dear is going to Tuscaloosa and will try to play right away as a freshman.

We don’t know a lot about Alabama going into next season. Who is going to be the quarterback? How will Alabama replace WR Kendrick Law and TE Robbie Ouzts, who blocked on the outside? Can Alabama make the defensive line better so they don’t have to blitz as much and get more of a pass rush off the edge?

A lot of questions need to be answered. Even though Haynes is moving, none of the questions are about the running backs.