Nov 30, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA;  Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrates after defeating the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 28-14. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe declares for 2025 NFL Draft

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday.

A two-year starter for the Crimson Tide, Milroe had one season of eligibility remaining.

Milroe’s season ended Tuesday with a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

“To my teammates, my brothers, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears we’ve shared,” Milroe posted. “The bonds we’ve built will last a lifetime. To Coach (Nick) Saban, thank you for believing in me and instilling the standard of excellence in me. To Coach (Kalen) DeBoer, thank you for challenging me and helping me grow into the player and leader I am today.”

Milroe completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 games in 2024. He also rushed for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns.

He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in his first season as the starter in 2023, passing for 2,834 yards and 23 TDs and rushing for 531 yards and 12 scores in 13 games.

Milroe, who backed up 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young during his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, already earned his undergraduate degree.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrates with fans after the Alabama Crimson Tide victory against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe delays NFL draft decision

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe plans to push back a decision on entering the draft or returning to the Crimson Tide until after the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan on Dec. 31.

Milroe told 247 Sports his focus is on beating the Wolverines, who ended Alabama’s 2023 season in the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinals.

“My thought process right now is finish this game out,” said Milroe, who turned 22 and graduated with a Masters degree last week.

Milroe, who backed up 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young for his first two seasons, is projected as a first-round draft pick if he opts to enter instead of returning to Alabama for his redshirt senior season in 2025.

In 2024, Milroe played for his third different offensive coordinator since landing at Alabama. He racked up 3,371 total yards, 20 rushing touchdowns with 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.

Should first-year coach Kalen DeBoer lose Milroe to the draft, Alabama has Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell on the QB depth chart.

Milroe edged Simpson for the starting job in 2023 and Mack transferred from Washington to follow DeBoer.

A five-star recruit ranked No. 2 overall in the nation, Russell was named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year last week.

–Field Level Media

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team works out Sunday morning in practice as they prepare for the 2024 season. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) listens to directions from Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama set to unveil Jalen Milroe 2.0

Jalen Milroe knows the entire playbook, and he has a hunch about tendencies and audibles in certain situations. But he can hardly contain his excitement in anticipation of putting his offseason of work on display when No. 5 Alabama welcomes Western Kentucky to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

“As a quarterback I want to see the field in the lens of the head coach,” Milroe said of entering his first game under Kalen DeBoer. “In all areas of the game. It’s been awesome to have that aspect from spring ball, to summer training, now fall camp and transition to the season. There’s been so much growth and so much improvement as a team just always being a sponge for information.

“It processes differently when you get on the field. At the end of the day, at the quarterback position, you simplify the game by being a point guard with the football.”

Milroe said his one-on-one work with DeBoer helped him realize he’s only scratching the surface of his potential. DeBoer is decidedly offensive-minded as compared to predecessor Nick Saban, the seven-time national championship winner who cut his teeth as an assistant to Bill Belichick in Cleveland.

DeBoer, the 2023 coach of the year at Washington, learned a lot about Milroe — as a quarterback, learner and leader — during player-run practices. Giving a semblance of autonomy to his quarterback helped DeBoer discern the value of their private meetings, work in the QB room and areas he could address better.

There is zero question about Milroe’s buy-in under the new coaching staff and DeBoer.

“He believes in me. He loves me. There’s nothing greater than that,” Milroe said. “Beyond the Xs and Os and going over the schemes, it’s the belief system a coach has in a player. You want to do your best each and every day because you have a coach that’s behind you and wants the best for you. It’s been fun. To be around him has been awesome.”

Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan will call plays for Alabama and have Milroe’s ear in the newly adopted headset communication system. But Milroe has shown in the nearly nine months DeBoer has been on the job that he can do more than steer the offense.

“Now it’s really playing football, understanding situations, getting on the same page with both Nick Sheridan, the play caller, and myself and working through all of those things,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “And then there’s the leadership piece, too. You know, he does such a great job of that, both on and off the field. He holds himself to extremely high standard in all ways. And he leads through example, he leads just with his poise and body language and then his words as well.”

Milroe had 35 total touchdowns last season (12 rushing) and had one interception after the month of October in 2023. Western Kentucky was in the top 10 in the country in takeaways, but Milroe said his role isn’t to play perfect. It’s to execute DeBoer’s plan to perfection.

“Coach DeBoer always talks about relentless pursuit of the team’s improvement,” Milroe said.

Teammates are following the lead of Milroe, but that’s nothing new. Offensive lineman Tyler Booker said last month at SEC Media Days that opponents would be seeing Milroe on a “new level” in the DeBoer system.

“I feel like it will allow Jalen to be himself, especially the way I’ve seen coach DeBoer and Jalen interact,” Booker said. “He wants to do what Jalen can do well, build on that, and the other playmakers on offense as well. Letting Jalen play his game is the best thing that we can do.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe announces return in 2024

Quarterback Jalen Milroe said Thursday he’s returning to Alabama for a final season in 2024.

He made the announcement on “The Next Round,” saying, “Yea, I’m coming back for my senior year.”

Milroe took over as the Crimson Tide starter from Bryce Young, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He finished sixth in Heisman Trophy balloting.

Before thinking about the 2024 season, Milroe has unfinished business: leading No. 4 Alabama (12-1) against No. 1 Michigan (13-0) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in one College Football Playoff semifinal.

This season, Milroe has passed for 2,718 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also has run for 468 yards and 12 scores.

He started 12 games, missing the Week 3 win over South Florida after coach Nick Saban briefly benched him following a loss to Texas in which he threw two interceptions.

Earlier this month, Saban credited Milroe for his in-season improvement.

“Jalen’s done a fantastic job for us,” Saban said. “His transition and improvement as a player has certainly been a huge factor on the success of our team.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA;  Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe to start opener

No. 4 Alabama will start Jalen Milroe at quarterback in Saturday’s season opener against visiting Middle Tennessee, ESPN reported Friday.

The redshirt sophomore won a competition to replace Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Milroe, 20, was battling Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, redshirt freshman Ty Simpson and true freshman Dylan Lonergan.

He started for an injured Young in a 24-20 defeat of Texas A&M last year, passing for 111 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on Oct. 8. Overall, Milroe has completed 34 of 60 passes for 338 yards with six TDs and three picks while rushing for 320 yards and one score in 12 games.

ESPN’s report indicated that Milroe has not locked in the role for the season for the Crimson Tide, who will welcome No. 11 Texas to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 9.

–Field Level Media