The proverbial book on Jalen Milroe’s tenure in Tuscaloosa is nearing its epilogue. It was more of a short story than a novel. Milroe was QB1 at Alabama for merely 2 years, and is now headed to pastures new. He’s suiting up in crimson red one last time at the ReliaQuest bowl against Michigan. With his future still inconspicuous, the football sphere is hypothesising what’s in store for Milroe, who’s still got a year of eligibility remaining. A verdict is imminent after the Bowl game, but his comments in the lead-up give a view to his discernment about what he’ll pursue.
Jalen Milroe is in a bit of a conundrum, which most college athletes of his ilk face at some stage. He can either declare for the NFL Draft, or hit the transfer portal to return for another year. The general consensus pertaining to Milroe is that he’ll be a Day 1 pick, but not quite be a starter from the outset. With this career-altering decision in the pipeline, he was asked a straightforward question by a member of the media. “Have you thought about how this is possibly your last [college] game?” Milroe’s reply was a little more convoluted.
Speaking to “Alabama Crimson Tide on Al.com”, he said, “For me, it’s all about maximizing right now. Take care of right now. Because, you know, future tense- it’s hard to get to that point unless you take care of right now. So I’m just gonna take in the moment of just playing with my guys right now. Prepare as much as possible, practice, and take care of right now.” Spoken rather diplomatically, like a future franchise quarterback. Milroe did, however, proceed to confirm one important facet of what his future holds.
‘We gotta acknowledge what we did’ 🏈🐘
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe on his thoughts watching the first-round blowouts in the College Football Playoff pic.twitter.com/W4Hs0EjqBO
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) December 28, 2024
He was also asked about bidding farewell to Alabama. Milroe may not have wanted to delve into the future tense. Yet he did speak about his Bama stint very much in the past tense. “The best thing for me was just the support system of my coaching staff, and just along the way, having the great fan base of Alabama. Playing at Brian Denny’s like no other. Every moment I had being a starting quarterback at Alabama, I didn’t take for granted. So it’s just something special. Being able to wear the strip, be a quarterback for this great state and represent my family.” he said. Until after the ReliaQuest Bowl, his potential landing spot, if he returns to college, cannot be assessed. But his stature within NFL circles can be.
Only got 2 years atop the depth chart at Bama and 26 total starts mean Jalen Milroe is an unknown quantity. However, he’s got the raw tangibles to succeed at the next level. His best attribute is that he’s a dual-threat quarterback, which is almost necessary in the modern NFL. Although Jared Goff continues to be an exception at the top level, the days of pocket-passers have passed us by. Milroe can leg it and then some. The guy can rush for a first down. That’s unequivocally true. But his arm is still a work in progress, to put it lightly. The ceiling is high, though, if he’s developed well. One draftnik and analyst suggests his graph traversing the pros will be similar to that in college.
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