"I wanted to represent him today": Jalen Milroe had perfect tribute to honor Jalen Hurts' Alabama legacy following Week 5 win

Jalen Milroe played one of the best games of his college career against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. He was instrumental in leading the Crimson Tide offense to a hard-fought victory.

In his postgame press conference with the media, Jalen Milroe spoke about Jalen Hurts, a former Alabama QB (who is currently playing in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles), who was his inspiration for his performance in the game.

"He (Jalen Hurts) was one of the reasons why I came to the University of Alabama. If we look back when Alabama played Georgia (in 2018), Jalen Hurts stepped into the game. So, I wanted to represent him today," Milroe said.

During his time with the Crimson Tide, Jalen Hurts led the team to two national championship games, including one against the Georgia Bulldogs.

That was the 2018 National Championship Game. Hurts did not have the best time in this game and was benched at halftime for Tua Tagovailoa, who would lead the Crimson Tide to the title.

However, Hurts was a strong quarterback for both Alabama and for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he spent his final season before heading to the NFL.

Seeing him progress and develop into the strong quarterback that he is today was the reason why Milroe came to play for Alabama.

Could Jalen Milroe be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft?

Milroe had a very good performance against the Georgia Bulldogs. He threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He also rushed for 117 yards and scored two more touchdowns. In all, he was a key reason why the Crimson Tide was able to record an iconic victory over the Bulldogs.

This performance has made him the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, but some have said that this performance against Carson Beck has also put him in contention to be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Former NFL coach Rex Ryan said on ESPN's " Sunday NFL Countdown" that:

"It's funny because right away Greenie (Mike Greenberg) used to talk about that (Carson) Beck (was) possibly the first overall pick. Why the hell isn't Milroe the first overall pick?... He outplayed Beck in that game last night. I tell you what, that guy was impressive."

He has one more year of eligibility left, so if he does not want to declare for the 2025 draft, he can still return to Alabama.

If he were to do this, he would avoid the likes of Beck, Quinn Ewers, and Shedeur Sanders, putting himself in prime position to be a top pick in 2026.

But, if he were to declare for 2025, he could place himself in the conversation for one of the top picks, and could (if he keeps up his current form) become the top pick, just as Rex Ryan suggested.