How Jalen Milroe is building chemistry with his Alabama teammates this week
Alabama’s quarterback competition will resume in the fall, but Jalen Milroe isn’t wasting any time when it comes to strengthening the chemistry between himself and his receivers. The redshirt sophomore is one of more than a dozen Crimson Tide players who traveled out to Beast 1 Athletics in Tampa, Florida, this week to take part in pre-summer training.
According to Beast 1 Athletics owner, Vincent Sanders, Milroe was joined by several of his Alabama targets, including receivers Malik Benson, Isaiah Bond, Emmanuel Henderson, Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and Shazz Preston as well as tight end Danny Lewis Jr. Over the past week, the group has worked with a collection of high-profile trainers and former NFL players, honing their skills while focusing on necessary offseason steps to prepare for the coming season.
For Milroe, that preparation has extended past daily speed and positional drills as he’s used the week as an opportunity to build up a better bond between his receivers.
“He grabs guys for when they’re throwing around, and you can see them talking through different things,” said Beast 1 Athletics head trainer Yo Murphy. “You can see they understand what he’s thinking, and you can tell he’s getting their perception of things. He just has that quiet confidence, and the guys follow him. You can just tell that the chemistry is already built.”
Murphy has worked with several Crimson Tide stars over the past few years, including former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, receiver Henry Ruggs III and defensive lineman Christian Barmore. While the noted speed guru has only briefly started working with Milroe, he says he’s been impressed with how the redshirt sophomore quarterback carries himself as well as the respect he’s garnered from his fellow teammates.
“You can just see, he’s real humble in the way he approaches it, but he’s going to get it done,” Murphy said. “The way he listens, the way he responds to coaching, the way he responds to failure, he gets it.”
Milroe broke onto the scene last season, coming in for an injured Bryce Young against Arkansas before earning his first career start against Texas A&M the following week. In total, the dual-threat passer completed 58.5% of his throws for 297 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions while adding 265 yards and a score on the ground. Entering his redshirt sophomore season, he’s set to compete with redshirt freshman Ty Simpson and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner for Alabama’s starting quarterback job this fall.
After showing signs of improvement this spring, Milroe capped off Alabama’s camp with an up-and-down performance on A-Day, completing 19 of 37 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions while adding a 35-yard touchdown run.
The dual-threat quarterback will still need to improve his consistency as a passer in order to lock down the starting job this fall. However, if the past week is any indication, Sanders believes the redshirt sophomore is well on his way toward taking his game to the next level.
“He’s been a monster,” Sanders said. “He’s spinning the ball well, perfect form. He’s bouncing around. He’s bigger, stronger, faster. The ball is zipping out of his hand. I feel like he’s more confident now, and it shows on the field. He’s a natural leader, and I think he’s stepping into his own light.”
If Milroe is able to put everything together, he should have several capable targets to throw to. After working with the majority of Alabama’s receiving corps the past week, Murphy believes the unit should be one of the deepest in the nation this season.
“They’re all different and all have different things that stood out at different times,” Murphy said. “Ja’Corey is solid, and you can tell he’s about his work. Malik is so powerful. From Law to Shazz to Emmauel, the younger guys, you can tell they’re locked in. They understand the opportunity they have.
“It’s not like you see much dropoff between any of them. There’s good competition, and they all want each other to do well. Really all the guys are pouring in, and it really shows in the way they compete at the position.”
Along with Milroe and the receivers, other Alabama players who made the trip include offensive linemen J.C. Latham and Terrence Ferguson, as well as defensive linemen Jamil Burroughs and Anquin Barnes. The collection of Crimson Tide stars arrived in South Florida on Sunday and is set to return to Alabama on Friday
“They’re all excited about the season,” Sanders said. “Everyone’s laughing, having fun and working. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”