Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe got the opportunity to showcase his talents as a starter last year. After two seasons as Bryce Young's backup, Nick Saban put his faith in Milroe's abilities.
And the young quarterback did not disappoint, leading the program to a SEC title and a playoff berth. Unfortunately, the Crimson Tide were eliminated in the CFP semifinals by the 2023 natty champs, the Michigan Wolverines.
Now as Jalen Milroe continues his preparations for his second season as the starting quarterback, he has new goals and ambitions for the year. While speaking to Adam Breneman, the Alabama quarterback talked about improving his on-field intelligence and being able to dissect plays on the gridiron like a head coach or offensive coordinator.
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"As a quarterback there's a lot of things you can dive deep into and improve in. But for me, I want to master the game of football," Milroe said. "Run game, passing game, pass protection, run schemes. I want to see football in the lens of an offensive coordinator or head coach. The teams that are able to be excellent and very efficient and successful are teams with a very good quarterback that can see in the lenses of a caller and a very good defense. I'm observant of that" (21:22)
Last season, Jalen Milroe competed for the QB1 spot along with Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson. However, after their week 2 loss at the hands of Texas, he was replaced by Tyler Buchner for the game against USF. Things did not go according to plan as Buchner did not live up to Saban's expectations and was again replaced by Jalen Milroe for the rest of the season.
Throughout the campaign, Milroe showcased his talents as a dual-threat quarterback. He went on to record a total of 2,834 passing yards and 23 TD passes, along with 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Jalen Milroe believes he still has a lot of room to grow
The Alabama quarterback also opened up about how he wants to continue developing his skills and talent on the field. Despite having a 65.8% completion rate, Milroe was still not satisfied with being the sixth-best in the SEC.
With an offensive mastermind like Kalen DeBoer as the team's new head coach, Jalen Milroe believes that he will help him refine his game further as a dual-threat quarterback.
"Being a first-year starter you're not going to grasp everything as a whole your first year. I acknowledge that. Starting here, I already think I'm going to catapult myself because of the acknowledgment I'm not finished. Now having coach DeBoer, coach Sheridan and each on staff, they're going to keep pushing me and keep bettering me," Milroe said (21:55)
As Alabama prepares for a new era following Nick Saban's retirement, it will be interesting to see if Milroe can lead them to a natty this year. Can the young quarterback also be a top contender for the 2024 Heisman?
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