We are a little over a month away from the college football season starting and what better way than to evaluate athletes who are on the rise. This segment will feature University of Alabama’s quarterback Jalen Milroe.

After leading his football team to an 11-2 record and throwing 23 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions, the 21-year-old signal-caller and leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide is looking for a larger leap in 2024. Milroe exploded onto the scene as a dual-threat quarterback who can run and pass with accuracy. While the offensive line last season for Alabama gave fits for Milroe, he improvised and made countless plays that were eye-opening.

Entering his fourth year, Milroe and the team should be thrilled as new head coach Kalen DeBoer comes into the mix. DeBoer is known as one of colleges best offensive gurus and has a track record of winning in his time as a head coach. His arrival will certainly help Milroe take a massive jump this season and I would not be surprised to see thirty plus touchdowns and over 4,000 passing yards as a result.

Pro Football Focus wrote an article titled: ‘College Football: The top-10 quarterbacks for the 2024 season’ in which author Max Chadwick discussed Milroe as the third-best signal-caller coming in the new season.

Milroe is a big play waiting to happen with his elite tools. The redshirt sophomore was second in the nation with a 9.2% big-time throw rate in 2023 while his 35 runs of 10-plus yards were fourth among FBS quarterbacks. Milroe’s 96.9 PFF passing grade on deep throws trailed only Daniels among the country’s signal-callers as well. He also showed his mental toughness after getting benched in Week 3 following Alabama’s loss to Texas. From Week 4 on, Milroe’s 88.0 grade was tied for eighth among all quarterbacks in the country. 

Milroe’s playstyle can tend to still be a bit boom-or-bust at times, although there was far more of the former this past season. For starters, his internal clock needs to improve. Milroe’s 32.4% pressure-to-sack conversion rate was the sixth-highest in the nation as he held onto the ball for an FBS-leading 3.45-second average. He also needs to improve his consistency in the short and intermediate game, as his 68.0 passing grade on throws 0-19 yards stood just 100th in the country. 

While Nick Saban is gone, Alabama fans should be very excited to see what new head coach Kalen DeBoer can do to assist Milroe in taking the next step in his game. DeBoer helped turn Penix into an efficient assassin during their two years together at Washington. If he can do the same with Milroe, the sky is the limit for the redshirt junior.

Chadwick discussed the departure of long-time Alabama and future Hall of Fame head coach Nick Saban and how the match with DeBoer will prove to be a very solid for Milroe and his development. He also discussed just how dominant he was last season and how it will continue to improve with another year under his belt.

Milroe has an ability to not only pass the football but also be a very explosive runner. Last season, he rushed for 531 yards and secured 12 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 161 attempts which gave him a 3.3 rushing yards per average, which he will look to improve on this season.

Milroe’s Collegiate Statistics: 

2021: 3/7 for 41 Yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs | 15 Carries for 57 Rushing Yards, 0 TDs

2022: 31/53 for 297 Yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs | 31 Carries for 263 Rushing Yards, 1 TD

2023: 187/284 for 2,834 Yards, 23 TDs, 6 INTs, 161 Carries for 531 Rushing Yards, 12 TDs

2024: TBD

The Indianapolis Colts drafted Anthony Richardson from the University of Florida and both quarterbacks have similar styles. Richardson is two inches taller and 20-pounds heavier, but the weight for Milroe can always be added at a later time.

Milroe will be eligible for the NFL Draft and if he has a productive season, he has a shot at being a future top-10 draft pick. The addition of a new offensive minded head coach should help the young quarterback entering his second full season as the team’s starting quarterback.

If this coach and player marriage can work in tandem, Alabama should secure double-digit wins and a trip back to the college football playoffs.