Ryan Grubb comments on EJ Crowell’s role: ‘He’s fighting his tail off to learn’
Published:
Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb met with reporters on Monday morning in Tuscaloosa ahead of the Tide’s huge Week 6 matchup with Georgia.
Although Alabama‘s offense is off to a great start, the running back room suffered a setback this past week with Daniel Hill fumbling the ball twice. True freshman EJ Crowell has become a fan favorite, but has seen limited action so far in his college career.
According to comments made by Grubb on Monday, Crowell does not yet have a full grasp of the playbook — but is “fighting his tail off” to get there.
“EJ’s still growing into the game plans,” Grubb said. “There’s parts that are difficult at times to have him on the field when he doesn’t have the whole offense down. But he’s getting there, and he’s fighting his tail off to learn.”
Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!
So far this season, Crowell has 26 carries, which is third among Alabama running backs behind Hill (51) and fellow true freshman Trae’Shawn Brown (42).
To his credit, Crowell has been excellent in the opportunities he’s earned — he’s averaging 7.8 yards per carry and has scored 3 rushing touchdowns already this season.
Alabama’s running game has been much-improved over last season. Through 5 games, the Tide are averaging 4.85 yards per rush, which ranks in the top 50 nationally. Last season, they finished at 126th in the nation with 3.4 yards per carry.
Alabama and Georgia will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
Subscribe to the Saturday Football Newsletter — Get the latest news and updates on your team, your conference, and the college football nation straight to your inbox.
Having trouble seeing the signup form? Some privacy or ad-blocking tools can prevent it from loading. You can subscribe directly here.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
