It was a very interesting year for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in year one as a starter in 2023. He won a fierce competition in the preseason against the likes of Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner, and a couple of super talented freshmen. Many people seemed to write Milroe off before that competition even began, which proved to be very short sighted.
Less than a year later, Milroe was one of the three Crimson Tide players who represented the program at the 2024 SEC Media Day. His new head coach Kalen DeBoer was very complimentary of Milroe during his media availability. It isn’t always about what you see, but what most never will.
“That’s something you see with Jalen,” Coach DeBoer said about his star signal caller. “I can look at a moment just last week, him speaking in front of the team, positive but also showing accountability, that mix that great leaders have to build up their teammates.
“But also just reminding them what it’s going to take to reach all the goals we have,” DeBoer continued. “He does a great job of balancing that and I think he’s grown a lot in that area.”
What people have seen on the field is a dynamic dual threat quarterback who can make magic happen at times. During the 2023 season, Milroe threw for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air, averaging an absurd 10 yards per attempt.
As if those passing weapons weren’t promising enough, Milroe also ran for 531 yards and 12 more scores on the ground. The importance of his running ability took on a bigger level of importance down the stretch. He was basically unstoppable down the stretch.
Coach DeBoer needed to mesh in his admiration for Milroe as a raw talent, but it still came back to the leadership and grind off of the field.
“Obviously, we also have to talk about what he does on the football field,” explained DeBoer. “He has a skill set that is special. With his arm, he can make you pay and make the throws. I think he has continued to grow in that area, building confidence in himself. Just tirelessly working with the wide receiver corp, all the skill players, to be on the same page. He has continued to expand on his game with the different throws he can make.
“Down the field throws, he’s been great,” DeBoer added. “He has continued to work on those higher percentage throws that you need to have to love the chains. He just dives into it. There’s nobody that’s going to beat him into the facility from a player vantage point. He’s there at 4:30 AM or 5:00 AM, for sure, every single day. There’s guys who have tried to beat him in and they can’t. It isn’t just punching in the clock. He’s been great at being efficient, mentally and physically, to be ready for the fall.”
For Alabama fans, you love to hear so many positive remarks for their star signal caller. If DeBoer is correct, it could be a special season in 2024. Milroe would be a big reason for that.
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