Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer lauds QB Jalen Milroe's dedication to growth: "Been amazing in that way"

Following Nick Saban's retirement after a 17-season stint in Tuscaloosa, Alabama brought in Kalen DeBoer as his successor earlier this year. During his time with the Crimson Tide, Saban led them to six national titles. Now it's up to DeBoer to continue this legacy and keep building star players at the program.

One player that Kalen DeBoer has high praise for in the current roster is starting quarterback Jalen Milroe. When Bryce Young left for the NFL last year, Saban put his faith in Milroe to lead Alabama on the field. And despite a slight hurdle at the start of the season, Milroe showcased his worth by leading his team to an SEC championship and the College Football Playoff.

During a recent interview on Always College Football with former Tide QB Greg McElroy, Kalen DeBoer applauded Jalen Milroe for the way he has developed himself as a player. DeBoer also talked about how the young quarterback knows his weaknesses and continues to work on them.

"So Jalen, with what he did at the end of the season, I think is what's really impressive. And, you know, building on that, even though yes, new system, new verbiage and things like that, building on that experience I think and him now learning from it and knowing, you know the areas where he just needs to continue to improve, he's been amazing in that way."

"He's putting himself out there more and more with the team. He holds himself accountable to a high level," DeBoer said.

Jalen Milroe began his collegiate journey spending the first two seasons with Alabama as the backup to Bryce Young. Last season, he competed for the starting QB job with Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner and won the job. He finished his first campaign as QB1 of the team with a total of 2,834 passing yards and 23 touchdown passes.

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Kalen DeBoer opens up about what makes the Alabama job unique

During an appearance on the Ryan Russillo podcast last month, Kalen DeBoer highlighted the unique opportunity he has in his hands as the head coach of Alabama.

But at the same time, he also addressed the challenges that such a circumstance brings about and how he embraces these hurdles with open arms.

"There's a lot each and every day that surrounds the program. There's so many people that are a part of it, that want to be a part of it. Having opportunities like this are just so enjoyable but take up quite a bit of the day," DeBoer said. (2:10)

"It's fun sharing about, whether it's my journey or our program, the direction we're headed, all of it, it's fun and it's why I do it. It's to share the experiences we are having, to share the stories of these guys that I get a chance to coach and work with."

Last season, Kalen DeBoer was successful in leading the Washington Huskies to a Pac-12 title and the national championship game, where they unfortunately lost to Michigan.