Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had a decision to make when legendary coach Nick Saban announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 college football season. While 40 of his teammates hit the transfer portal during the 2024 cycle — the vast majority of them doing so following the coaching change — Milroe honored his commitment to the Crimson Tide and remained locked in with new leader Kalen DeBoer.
Milroe, a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, credited his academic journey as one of the primary reasons why he chose to stay at Alabama, but he also called the transition to DeBoer’s leadership “awesome” and expressed optimism for the upcoming campaign under a new staff.
“It was crazy initially to see the retirement,” Milroe said on CBS Mornings. “Coach Saban is the greatest coach of all time, and he recruited me to Alabama. So to have the three years being around someone to now the retirement, it was wild for us as a whole. But when you talk about life after football, you gotta talk about life after coaching.
“What a great opportunity for him to now step into a different role as a head coach to what he’s doing now. That’s awesome for him. And then also to be around a direction that he’s still around sports, which is awesome. That’s his passion. That’s his drive. I’m supportive of that. The transition has been awesome with having Coach DeBoer lead us and just getting to know him.”
Milroe waited his turn for the starting quarterback job during Saban’s final years, serving as a backup option as a freshman in each of his first two seasons. The 2023 campaign finally opened a path to the lineup for the former four-star recruit, and he took full advantage as one of the most efficient passers and explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation.
Not only did Milroe rank seventh nationally with his 15.16 yards per completion, but he also rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns during his breakout campaign.
“I’m big on goals,” Milroe said. “Setting short-term goals, long-term goals. My initial goal coming into college beyond any stat, beyond any play on the field was getting my degree in three years, and I was able to achieve that this past December.”
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One of Alabama’s goals for the 2024 season is to secure a College Football Playoff berth in its first year under DeBoer and again contend for a national championship. DeBoer made a run all the way to the title game last season in just his second year at Washington and brings ample winning experience to a program that is intimately familiar with competing at the highest level of the sport.
