Jalen Milroe’s wild ride continued Saturday afternoon, as he delivered another roller-coaster performance in Alabama’s 24-17 loss at Tennessee. And less than a month after he looked like a rising NFL Draft prospect against Georgia, it’s fair to wonder now if Milroe ultimately might be better served heading back to Tuscaloosa for a fifth season.
Milroe finished 25-of-45 passing against Tennessee for 239 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also had 14 rushing attempts for 11 yards.
Still just 21 years old, Milroe is one of college football’s most dynamic quarterbacks, from an athletic standpoint. That’s not changing — and it’s why scouts will remain interested in him despite his struggles. His rushing ability (the numbers Saturday aside) and vertical touch downfield have helped keep Alabama in every game, even as things have gotten clunky during the first year of the Nick Saban-to-Kalen DeBoer transition.
Right on the 🤑@jalenmilroe ➡️ @Ryanwms1
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/8sYff3wntu
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) October 19, 2024
In many ways, Milroe reminds me of a souped-up, better-armed version of former Michigan dual-threat QB Denard Robinson. Milroe is nearly as lethal with his feet as Robinson was, but he’s also bigger, stronger and can make more big-time throws. If Milroe were to put everything together, he’d be an absolutely lethal NFL quarterback.
As things sit today, though, his moments of struggle seem to at least equal his moments of brilliance — which, barring a huge second half of the season, likely will remain the biggest issue with him as a draft prospect this cycle. He’s just too streaky. The win over Georgia featured one of the most accurate throwing performances of Milroe’s career, as he had an off-target rate of a mere 3 percent on 24 attempts while facing one of the most athletic defenses in America. Two weeks later against South Carolina, though, 17.4 percent of his throws were off-target.
His accuracy has improved, overall, through seven games, but it’s nowhere near consistent. He hasn’t been as confident or as efficient over the middle, and his peaks are no longer outweighing his stumbles.
And in some ways, Milroe’s up-and-down performance this season is a good microcosm of the entire 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class.
The QB1 spot absolutely remains up for grabs as we approach Halloween. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had been the most consistent prospect the last few weeks, and he definitely had his moments Saturday in a blowout road win over Arizona, but he also tossed two picks. Georgia’s Carson Beck has bounced back since looking completely shook during the opening half against Alabama — but we (and NFL scouts) can’t unsee that showing against the Tide. Name any player on the list — Quinn Ewers, Cam Ward, etc. — and you’ll find more questions than answers.
We’ll see how November goes. Milroe looked like one of the most improved passers in the country in September, and you could see week-to-week improvement as he adjusted to DeBoer’s system. But whenever things have gone off track, Milroe has been unable to recover. One mistake has led to two, or three, time and time again.
I still think the Milroe-DeBoer marriage is a good one, and not unlike what we saw from DeBoer and Michael Penix Jr. However, as things worked out in that situation, it might be best for all parties if Milroe puts the draft on hold in favor of another year spent developing at Alabama. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
In each game this season, Milroe has shown flashes of unique greatness as well as moments that clearly show he is a work in progress. Against Tennessee, there was too much of the latter (and not enough of the former).
ONE-HANDED INT ON JALEN MILROE 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/KgYlStIYpK
— ESPN (@espn) October 19, 2024
More than a few times, he was close to an explosive play — either with his legs or his arm — but his accuracy and timing as a passer were off all game, especially when throwing on the move or forced off his initial read.
His performance Saturday doesn’t drastically change much with his scouting report, but it does reinforce where he is in his development. If he declares for the 2025 draft, would Milroe still have a chance at the first round? Of course. His evaluation always has been about a long-term bet on rare physical traits and mental maturity. Could he benefit by going back to school? There’s no doubt, and the Tennessee tape is a reminder of that.
(Photo: Butch Dill / Getty Images)
