In Alabama’s first two matchups against Duke and New Mexico State, both freshmen running backs, Keilan Robinson and Jerome Ford, led the team in yards on the ground.

Coming into the season, it was Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr. who were expected to take over the workload after losing Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris to the 2019 NFL Draft.

The team’s season-opening win over Duke in Atlanta saw Harris and the older Robinson suspended for the first quarter, which should have limited their snaps.

Instead, the two combined for 21 of the  42 carries the running backs were given.

Harris had a total of 52 yards off of the 12 carries he was given while Robinson only had nine yards off of nine carries in that game.

It ended up being Ford who led the team with 10 carries, which he turned into 64 yards. The freshman Robinson toted the ball twice for a measly five yards.

The trend of freshmen leading the team continued into Week 2, as they faced New Mexico State for their home opener.

This time around, it was Keilan Robinson leading the team with 80 yards on five carries, including a 74-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Those numbers, in comparison to the feature backs, were interesting, as Harris (68) and the older Robinson (57) combined for 23 carries and 125 yards.

Throughout the two games, Keilan Robinson has the most yards in a single game (80), and a Crimson Tide ball carrier has yet to reach the 100-yard mark.

South Carolina might be the best opportunity for the running backs to shine as they search for revenge against the Gamecocks after losing in Columbia, South Carolina in 2010.

Last week, South Carolina only gave up 72 yards to Charleston Southern. But this will be a much tougher task for the Gamecocks’ defense.

This SEC opening matchup could be what fans have been waiting for to finally gauge the abilities of both veteran backs, Harris and Brian Robinson.