Former Alabama OC Bill O'Brien told Jalen Milroe to switch positions

LOS ANGELES — Jalen Milroe is currently one of the hottest quarterbacks in college football. However, if it was up to his former offensive coordinator, he’d have switched positions.

During a Rose Bowl media availability Thursday, Milroe revealed that former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien suggested he change positions earlier in his career.

"Shoot, my own offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien told me I shouldn't play quarterback," Milroe told reporters. "There's a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that's something I have motivation from."

Alabama is fortunate Milroe didn’t take O’Brien’s advice. Through 12 starts this season, the quarterback has completed 65.5% of his passes for 2,718 and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. He’s also added 468 yards on the ground to go with a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns. Milroe finished sixth in this year’s Heisman Trophy voting and is thought to be one of the early frontrunners for the award next season.

“The biggest thing for me would be stay true to myself and stay the same,” Milroe said. “Nothing changed about me. The only thing that changed was I had an opportunity and I seized it. For me the biggest thing was just stay true to myself, and I had a bigger purpose than anyone’s opinion. … Look where I am right now, so who gets the last laugh?

O'Brien served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He helped Bryce Young become the first quarterback to win a Heisman Trophy. O’Brien has spent the past season as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. His offense ranks 24th out of 32 NFL teams, averaging 189.8 yards per game through the air.