TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — While Jalen Milroe is still picking up Alabama’s new playbook, Crimson Tide coaches are beginning to learn how to best utilize the returning starter in this year’s offense.
Following Alabama’s first spring scrimmage Thursday, head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke glowingly of Milroe, calling the redshirt junior “super consistent,” while stating “he’s done a good job of just playing ball.”
Thursday, the second part of that statement seemed to refer to the dual-threat ability that made Milroe one of college football’s most electric playmakers last season.
“He’s got that dual skillset, being able to run and throw,” DeBoer said. “Now that we have enough things in where he can utilize all of that, you can see even the playcalling is working around what he brings to the table.”
Milroe is the highest-returning Heisman Trophy vote-getter from last year. During his debut season as a starter, he completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions over 13 games. His 172.17 passer rating ranked fifth nationally, topping Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (170.15), who is projected to be the first overall pick in next month’s NFL draft.
However, it was Milroe’s legs that made him a nightmare for opposing defenses. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound quarterback used his elite speed to gallop past defenders while piling up 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
“He’s tough to handle,” DeBoer said. “He’s just so extremely fast. You think you kind of have him bottled up, and he just runs right around you."
While DeBoer and first-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan might shape this year’s scheme to compliment Milroe’s athleticism, they’ll need the returning starter to improve his intermediate passing game in order to have Alabama’s offense clicking on all cylinders.
According to Pro Football Focus, Milroe’s 97.1 deep-ball grade ranked second nationally behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels (99.2).
His intermediate game was a different story.
According to PFF, Milroe earned a 53.7 grade on passes that traveled between 10-19 yards past the line of scrimmage, completing just 51.5% on such throws while tossing four of his five interceptions.
That’s still a work in progress, but Thursday’s scrimmage appeared to offer more optimism moving forward.
“He's done a really good job,” DeBoer said. “I think he's getting more and more comfortable with the offense every day. You know, especially when it comes to the pass game.
“But there's just things where he has options to make a play with his feet and he's done that I think at the right time and being more and more comfortable just playing the game and finding ways to move the chains, converting what needs to convert, taking the shots when he needs to take the shots. So really proud of the way he's come along.”
DeBoer said Milroe took the majority of first-team reps during Thursday’s scrimmage. The Crimson Tide’s plan moving forward will be to get all four of its starting quarterbacks a significant number of first-team reps during scrimmages in order to integrate them with the offense.
“I actually thought the quarterbacks in general did a really good job making some throws, staying with plays, checking protections, just feeling really comfortable back there and not trying to do too much,” DeBoer said. “They never turned the ball over once today, which I think is a really good sign that says a lot. When they had chances to make throws, they went and put it in a spot where the offensive player could compete for it. And they threw some nice touchdown passes in there, too, so it was really good all around."
Thursday's scrimmage served as the eighth of 15 spring practices for Alabama. The Crimson Tide will hold its second scrimmage on April 6 before wrapping up camp with its annual A-Day scrimmage on April 13.
