"The one, the only": Nick Saban's daughter Kristen Saban reveals her favorite returning player on Alabama squad

Kristen Saban, daughter of former Alabama coach Nick Saban, shared her excitement for the upcoming Crimson Tide football season by revealing her favorite returning player. During a Q&A session on her Instagram story, Kristen expressed her admiration for quarterback Jalen Milroe, describing him as "the one, the only."

Image via Ig@kristennsaban

Milroe, who enters his second season as Alabama's starting quarterback, has garnered attention for his leadership qualities. On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan talked about Milroe's growth.

“I continue to see him be more and more comfortable in who he is, and being genuine and authentic to who he is,” Sheridan said. "His teammates respect that. They know how hard he works. He’s as hard of a working player that I’ve ever been around."

Milroe faced adversity when benched after a tough loss to Texas in the 2023 season. Yet within a very short time, he was back in the starting section, leading Alabama to an SEC Championship and a College Football Playoff entrance.

“I think he’s becoming more and more comfortable, even in our time here, using his voice to encourage, to confront, to demand, because he’s certainly putting in the time and the work,” Sheridan said.

Alongside Milroe, offensive guard Tyler Booker and defensive standouts Deontae Lawson and Malachi Moore were also recognized as key returning players.

Alabama prepares for a season of firsts: new coach, conference rivals and helmet communication

The Alabama Crimson Tide is gearing up for a season of significant changes under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. In addition to DeBoer’s arrival, the SEC has welcomed two new teams, Texas and Oklahoma.

The College Football Playoff has expanded further, providing the next layer of challenge for the upcoming season. However, perhaps the most captivating thing is that players and coaches can now communicate via helmets.

Earlier this year, the NCAA approved helmet communication for the 2024 season, allowing coaches to talk directly to one player on the field until 15 seconds remain on the play clock. The communication shuts off as soon as the play begins. Alabama tested this new system during a recent scrimmage.

Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack expressed excitement and caution about the new communication method. He noted that some offenses might wait until the last 15 seconds to make adjustments, forcing defenses to revert to traditional signaling.

Alabama enters this season following a successful 2023 campaign, finishing with a 12-2 record, including an undefeated 8-0 run in the SEC. Despite averaging 34.0 points per game and racking up 5,503 yards, their playoff hopes were dashed in a narrow overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.