Tag: Jalen Milroe

ESPN lists one Alabama player in first round of latest 2025 NFL mock draft

ESPN’s latest mock draft features one Alabama player in the first round this spring.

While still months away from the 2025 NFL draft, it’s still never too-early to start looking at which Alabama Crimson Tide football players will be taken in the draft’s seven rounds later this spring, especially the first round.

According to ESPN’s latest mock draft as well, one current Alabama player in projected in the first round, as analyst Matt Miller has quarterback Jalen Milroe coming off the board at No. 28 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As part of the projected pick, Miller also said of Milroe to Pittsburgh:

“He’s still a bit raw as a prospect, but he has thrown 15 touchdown passes and rushed for 17 more scores this season,” Miller said. “Milroe just needs to improve his touch as a passer, but scouts I’ve talked to have said he has the most upside of any draft-eligible quarterback in the class. And should the Steelers re-sign (Russell) Wilson, Milroe could sit, learn and develop further.”

Throughout the 2024 college football season, Milroe has been one of the more intriguing prospects when it comes to NFL draft boards, with many having the Alabama quarterback as a potential first round pick. Based on how he finishes the season as well, could Milroe in fact find himself in the first round this spring?

How Alabama football can get to the SEC Championship Game, explained

Explaining Alabama’s path to the SEC Championship Game with only two games left in the regular season.

Entering Week 13 of the 2024 college football season, none of the Power Four conference championship games on Dec. 7 have been set in stone. That’s especially true for the SEC title game.

Contrast this to a year ago when the Alabama Crimson Tide clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game with a 49-21 rout of the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field (Commonwealth Stadium) in Lexington on Nov. 11. The Georgia Bulldogs, who were in the midst of a third consecutive unbeaten regular season, clinched their spot in the SEC title game that same day.

Things are a lot different this year with expanded leagues that no longer feature divisions. In the summer of 2023, the SEC and Big Ten announced within a week of one another that they would both do away with the division format beginning in 2024. The ACC abandoned division play beginning last year.

Now, as Alabama (8-2 overall, 4-2 SEC) prepares to face the Oklahoma Sooners (5-5, 1-5) in prime time Saturday night, as many as five SEC teams still have a path to Atlanta. Those five teams are the Crimson Tide, the Texas Longhorns (5-1 SEC), the Texas A&M Aggies (5-1), Georgia (6-2), and the Ole Miss Rebels (4-2).

Some teams have simpler paths than others, though, and on Friday USA TODAY Sports columnist Paul Myerberg laid out the path to reach Atlanta for each of the five SEC title game contenders.

Alabama football has clear path to SEC Championship Game

Alabama has appeared in the SEC Championship Game more times than any other team since the game’s inception in 1992. The Crimson Tide have a slight lead over the Florida Gators in that category with 15 trips to Atlanta — and previously Birmingham’s Legion Field — to the Gators’ 13.

Getting to a record 16th SEC title game will happen if the Crimson Tide don’t slip up against either Oklahoma this week or in the Iron Bowl against the Auburn Tigers next Saturday.

Per Myerberg:

“Alabama is the winner in the case of a four-way tie for second involving teams with two league losses. Should A&M finish 7-1, the Crimson Tide would advance to meet the Aggies by virtue of owning the best conference opponent winning percentage in conference play. Heading into Saturday, Alabama’s opponents are a combined 27-26 in the SEC, ahead of the Bulldogs (23-28), Volunteers (23-28), Rebels (22-33) and Longhorns (21-32).”

How Alabama could squander SEC title game, put CFP hopes in jeopardy

What happens if Alabama does slip up against either the Sooners or Auburn in the final two weeks? The short answer: nothing good.

Georgia has already wrapped up SEC play with its 31-17 win over Tennessee last Saturday. A third SEC loss by Alabama would spell doom for the Tide’s SEC title hopes, as well as put a big dent in their CFP hopes with three losses, as well.

Myerberg explains:

“One loss would eliminate the Tide. In that case, Georgia would meet the winner of Texas and A&M. That’s because the Bulldogs would have a better record against common opponents than Ole Miss and would have head-to-head tiebreakers against Tennessee and Texas.”

There’s been a lot of talk and confusion about tiebreakers this year, what with the new wrinkles of conference realignment/expansion and abandoning the division format, but the bottom line is that Alabama just needs to keep winning. The rest will take care of itself.

Kickoff for Alabama vs. Oklahoma is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC.

RELATED: ‘College GameDay’ announces Week 13 location: Where will Nick Saban be?

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Sooners Wire Staff Predictions for Oklahoma vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Can the Oklahoma Sooners come out on top vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide? Here are this week’s staff predictions for OU vs. Alabama.

The Oklahoma Sooners have one heck of a challenge on their hands this Saturday night when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama comes to town as the No. 7 team in the nation, hoping to solidify their place in the College Football Playoff field.

The Sooners are searching for that elusive sixth win. A win in either of their next two games gets Oklahoma to bowl eligibility and helps them finish the season on a high note. There’s no rewriting history for the 2024 season, but close it out with a win over Alabama or LSU or both and it’ll provide a little more optimism for the future.

To get you ready for the Sooners Week 13 matchup with the Crimson Tide, here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.

Staff Predictions for Oklahoma at Missouri

Oklahoma’s season has whittled down to just two games remaining, and both come against two of the SEC’s biggest brands. The Sooners will start with the Alabama Crimson Tide at home, the first time they’ve come to Norman since 2002.

Brent Venables coached in that game as a defensive coordinator. His defense will need to be the calling card on Saturday evening as Jalen Milroe and the Bama offense present problems primarily due to how the Crimson Tide can play off Mileoe’s dual-threat ability.

He’ll stay longer than needed in the pocket and is susceptible to sacks, which is where OU must capitalize.

Offensively, Oklahoma will find it hard to win through the air with a talented Bama secondary with players on the backend.

I want to believe Oklahoma musters up enough to scare Alabama, but the Sooners don’t have healthy horses for Kalen DeBoer’s team.

Alabama is playing for its College Football Playoff life, and that will be the difference. I think we see a reasonable effort in the first half, with the Sooners going into the half down less than ten, but Bama will right the ship and pull away in the fourth quarter.

Alabama 31, Oklahoma 13

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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3 Key matchups for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide

What are the key matchups to watch as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide?

The Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday night in one of the more highly-anticipated matchups of the new-look SEC.

Even if the Sooners have struggled through the 2024 season, a battle of two of college football’s blue blood programs is the stuff reserved for the postseason or the occasional nonconference heavyweight tilt.

It’s been 22 years since the Crimson Tide stepped foot in Norman. When Alabama comes to town this week, they’ll seek to solidify their position as a College Football Playoff contender. The SEC title game isn’t out of the question, but they’ll need some help to get there. A win over Oklahoma and then next week in the Iron Bowl will pretty much solidify the Crimson Tide’s as at least an at-large bid.

Can the Oklahoma Sooners play spoiler this weekend and knock the Crimson Tide out of the playoff discussion? They’ll need to play a great game to do so and win these key matchups.

1. Oklahoma Run Game vs. Alabama Defense

The Alabama Crimson Tide come to Norman with a run defense allowing 132.2 yards per game, which is good for 53rd in the nation. Alabama held LSU to just 104 yards rushing on 24 attempts in a game that got away from the Tigers. The week before Bama allowed 169 yards rushing in their shutout win over Missouri.

In their losses to Tennessee and Vanderbilt, Alabama allowed 204 and 166 rushing yards.

It’s a unit that can be run, but much of it will depend on how much Alabama respects Oklahoma’s passing attack. They’re likely to crowd the box and force Oklahoma to beat them through the air. Still, even against crowded boxes, the Sooners need to lean into the running game.

The passing attack hasn’t been consistent all season, but the Sooners have found success on the ground over the last month.

The Sooners have to slow the game down and rely on the running game to keep the offense in favorable down and distances. Oklahoma doesn’t want to get into second- and third-and-long situations and be forced to pass.

Even if the game begins to get away from Oklahoma, they need to continue to lean into the running game with Xavier Robinson, Jovantae Barnes, Taylor Tatum, and Jackson Arnold.

Up Next: Can Oklahoma limit Explosive Plays?

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Browns wait until second round to land new QB in new mock draft

The Browns landed Alabama QB Jalen Milroe with pick No. 35 in a new mock draft.

It is no secret that the Cleveland Browns need a new quarterback, and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe lands in Northeast Ohio in a new mock draft after rising back up the boards.

But not where you would think.

Daft on Draft did a new mock draft, this time a two-round version, and Milroe was their selection with their second round pick. Similar to the Philadelphia Eagles with Jalen Hurts, this could be a situation where he is allowed to sit, and bridge again (perhaps with Jameis Winston again), while building up safeguards to get the dynamic playmaker on the field.

Without exaggerating, Milroe runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, which allows for creativity to spark in and of itself. He has taken a massive stride as a passer this season as well, showing the eyes and patience to hang in the pocket to work through concepts and deliver footballs to open receivers.

He has a chance to sneak back into the SEC Championship game and will get at least one matchup in the College Football Playoffs as well to prove he can become a trustworthy thrower under the bright lights.

If he does? Pick No. 35 where the Browns land him here might be too late.

Alabama rolls in dominant 52-7 win over Mercer to set up final stretch run

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished strong in the second half of a 52-7 victory over the Mercer Bears Saturday. Here’s how it happened.

The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide finished strong in a 52-7 win over the Mercer Bears Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama improved to 8-2 overall before its final two games of the regular season. Kalen DeBoer’s team heads to Norman next Saturday to face the Oklahoma Sooners before closing out the year with their Iron Bowl matchup against the Auburn Tigers in Tuscaloosa.

After jumping out to a 31-7 lead at halftime — a start in which the Tide got two big touchdowns from freshman sensation Ryan Williams and an impressive performance from quarterback Jalen Milroe — Alabama kept its foot on the gas to open the second half.

The Crimson Tide started the third quarter strong by driving 67 yards in 4:27 to take a 38-7 lead. Milroe hit Germie Bernard on a play that went for 23 yards to the Mercer 21-yard line, and Justice Haynes ran 12 yards for a first and goal at the Bears’ 3. Milroe eventually finished off a 10-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run.

That would mark the end of Milroe’s day. He finished 11-of-16 for 186 yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Milroe ran six times for 43 yards before backup Ty Simpson took over.

Simpson showed off his wheels on his first series with a 13-yard scramble on a 3rd and 11 play from Alabama’s 27-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter, Simpson pulled off a pass reminiscent of Eli Manning’s Super Bowl escape against the New England Patriots in 2008 when he avoided a sack and hit tight end Josh Cuevas for a 43-yard gain and a first and goal at the 1.

Richard Young finished off the drive with his first career touchdown run for a 45-7 lead with 12:54 to play in the game. Simpson was 5-of-10 for 71 yards, plus the 13-yard scramble.

Alabama used two more backup quarterbacks, giving freshmen Dylan Lonergan and Washington transfer Austin Mack some snaps. Lonergan was 5-of-6 for 23 yards. He hit Ty Lockwood on a well-thrown short pass for a five-yard gain and a first down.

Mack, the fourth quarterback of the day, connected with fellow freshman Rico Scott for a 31-yard touchdown with 3:36 left for Alabama’s final score of the afternoon. Mack’s touchdown to Scott capped a 16-play, 79-yard drive that took 7:43 off the clock.

Alabama finished the day with an 508 yards of total offense (319 passing, 189 rushing) and 29 first downs.

Alabama vs Oklahoma Week 13 kickoff, TV info announced

The Crimson Tide will face the Oklahoma Sooners next Saturday night at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions. 

Jalen Milroe, Alabama offense stay hot in explosive first half against Mercer

Alabama leads Mercer, 31-7, at halftime after a BIG first half from Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams and the Crimson Tide offense.

It’s halftime at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the No. 9 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are rolling against the Mercer Bears.

At the break, Alabama leads Mercer, 31-7. Here’s how the Crimson Tide have built their big lead at intermission.

After Domani Jackson forced a fumble that Damon Payne Jr. recovered on Mercer’s first drive, Alabama took over at its 48-yard line.

The Crimson Tide wasted no time finding the end-zone on their first possession. Freshman phenom Ryan Williams took a jet sweep 29 yards to the outside to give Alabama a 7-0 lead just over four minutes in after Graham Nicholson added the extra point.

Jalen Milroe and the offense needed only four plays and 1:16 off the clock to drive 52 yards for the opening touchdown.

Williams struck again on Alabama’s next series, making a 17-yard reception for a first down before taking a drop-off from Milroe and going 14 yards for his second touchdown of the first quarter. That made it 14-0 with 4:08 left in the opening period. The Crimson Tide drove 89 yards on nine plays and used 4:21 off the clock.

Mercer drove into Alabama territory twice in the first quarter but turned the ball over both times. Late in the quarter, Qua Russaw made an interception off a tipped pass to give the Tide the ball at their 32-yard line.

Alabama finished the drive early in the second quarter when a wide-open Robbie Ouzts hauled in a perfect pass from Milroe for a 44-yard touchdown and a 21-0 Crimson Tide lead. It was a seven-play, 68-yard drive. Milroe was 7-of-8 for 107 yards and two touchdowns to that point.

Mercer hit a long pass for 43 yards to Javarius George, who fumbled at the end on a well-timed hit from DaShawn Jones. True freshman Zabien Brown scooped it and ran 68 yards for a 28-0 Alabama lead with 8:45 to play in the half.

Mercer scored its only points of the first half with 1:58 to play when quarterback Whitt Newbauer threw a perfect pass to Kendall Harris, who made a sensational grab for a 31-yard touchdown.

On Alabama’s first play from scrimmage on its ensuing possession, Milroe hit Germie Bernard for 45 yards to the Mercer 30-yard line. That led to a perfect 45-yard Nicholson field goal to put the Tide ahead, 31-7, with 55 seconds to go before halftime.

At halftime, Alabama has 254 yards of total offense and 13 first downs. Milroe started 8-of-9 and finished the half 9-of-14 for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Milroe also had four rushes for 36 yards in the first half, including a 16-yard carry.

Williams’ three plays (two catches, one rush) have totaled 60 yards and resulted in two touchdowns.

It’s been a good day for the Alabama offense.

Crimson Tide QB Jalen Milroe named Davey O’Brien semifinalist

Davey O’Brien award for top QB in the nation releases semi-final list includes Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

It has been one of the craziest years we have ever seen in college football, and we still have multiple weeks left in the regular season. The expanded 12-team format has completely changed the season’s dynamic, as teams can now afford a loss or two and still make the playoffs. The new twist has been proven beneficial for the Alabama Crimson Tide and other conference members of the gauntlet that is the SEC, as eight teams have two or fewer losses.

We all knew this year would be different for the Crimson Tide, with Kalen DeBoer taking on Nick Saban’s responsibilities on the sidelines. However, QB Jalen Milroe has been the glue holding this team together since Saban’s shocking departure on Jan. 10.

It’s been an up-and-down year for the Alabama offense at times, but in fairness, they have an all-new coaching staff and have faced arguably the toughest schedule in the country. In fact, the Crimson Tide have more top 25 wins than the top five combined.

Alabama looked a big stagnant in their loss to Tennessee, but since then they have turned the page outscoring LSU and Missouri 76-13 combined. In the Tide’s crucial win at Death Valley this past Saturday, Milroe put on a show rushing for 185 yards and four scores to keep the Tide’s Playoff hopes alive.

Milroe currently has top five odds to win the Heisman Trophy and will be in contention for several post season awards. The Alabama QB was also just named a semi finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award which goes to the nation’s top quarterback.

The Crimson Tide had never had a QB win the O’Brien Award until Mac Jones and Bryce Young did it back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. So, Milroe would be only the third player in Alabama history to win the award.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Experts project Alabama’s College Football Playoff fate entering Week 12

With Jalen Milroe and Alabama having thrashed LSU, college football writers and pundits see the Crimson Tide as a lock for the Playoff.

Jalen Milroe and the Alabama Crimson Tide have the college football world buzzing after their 45-13 beatdown of the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge over the weekend.

Alabama moved up two spots to No. 9 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll after beating LSU. Milroe rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries and threw for another 109 on 12-of-18 passing in the Tide’s dominant victory.

Alabama improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play. Kalen DeBoer’s team also dramatically improved their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff as they enter Week 12.

The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 11 in the first CFP rankings release of the 2024 season last week. The updated rankings will be unveiled Tuesday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

In the meantime, here’s what national college football writers and others in the sport’s media universe are saying about the Tide’s Playoff chances — and who they might face if they win out.

Expect Alabama to move up in new CFP rankings

Alabama is certain to move up in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, and ESPN’s Heather Dinich (subscription required) projects them to climb two spots to No. 9 Tuesday.

Dinich said of Alabama:

“The Tide’s win against LSU should bump them up, but the second loss will continue to hold them back. Alabama’s head-to-head win against Georgia should keep them ahead of the Bulldogs now that they both have identical 7-2 records. Alabama was the committee’s top two-loss team in its first ranking, and the LSU win should further cement that this week. (Warde) Manuel said the committee thought Alabama’s home win against Georgia “was impressive,” along with its win against Missouri. “They’re top 20 in scoring,” Manuel said after the first ranking. “Obviously their defense is always solid, holding teams to less than 20 points per game. Those things impressed the committee.”

 

Experts’ 2024 College Football Playoff projections for Alabama football

Over at CBS Sports, Jerry Palm is riding especially high on Alabama after their win at LSU. So much so that Palm now has the Crimson Tide favored to not only make the College Football Playoff, but to win the SEC Championship Game outright after the Georgia Bulldog’s 28-10 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels over the weekend.

Palm explains his projection this way:

“The loss for Georgia combined with wins by Alabama and Tennessee leave me with Texas finishing first in the SEC regular season and a six-car pileup behind them of teams with two conference losses. I had to dig deep into the tiebreaker to emerge with an opponent for the Longhorns, and that team is the Crimson Tide, who would earn the conference championship berth based on the record of their conference opponents.

“I also project Alabama to win the SEC title game over Texas and earn a 3-seed in the playoff field.”

USA TODAY Sports’ Ehsan Kassim sees Alabama in the Playoff, as an at-large seed with the Texas Longhorns winning the SEC and earning the conference’s automatic bid and first-round bye.

Kassim projected the Crimson Tide as the No. 10 seed and playing at No. 7 seed Penn State in what would be a new chapter in a once familiar series. Alabama and the Nittany Lions have met 15 times, with Alabama beating Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl for the national championship.

Likewise, 247Sports’ Brad Crawford sees Alabama as a No. 10 seed in the Playoff and facing Notre Dame in South Bend. The Fighting Irish are 7-1 and ranked No. 8 after a 52-3 blowout win over Florida State.

Alabama football vs. Indiana Hoosiers a common Playoff projection

Veteran college football writer Andy Stapes forecasts Alabama as the No. 7 seed in the Playoff and hosting the No. 10 seed Indiana Hoosiers in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Indiana improved to 10-0 Saturday and is ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll after their 20-15 win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Staples said of Alabama:

“The 42-13 thrashing of LSU in a CFP elimination game served as a reminder that this Alabama team is still loaded even if it doesn’t have the same consistency it showed throughout the Nick Saban era. Jalen Milroe remains one of the nation’s most dangerous QBs.”

Over at The Athletic ($), staff writer Austin Mock sees the same Alabama-Indiana matchup, only with the Crimson Tide as the No. 9 seed and facing the No. 8 seed Hoosiers in Bloomington.

In another No. 9 vs. No. 8 seed projection, Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg sees Alabama playing at Indiana, as well.

Could Alabama play Tennessee in ‘Third Saturday’ College Football Playoff rematch?

The Sporting News’ Bill Bender had an interesting opponent for Alabama in his playoff projections. In Bender’s new forecast, he has Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams and Jihaad Campbell facing the Tennessee Volunteers in a No. 10 vs. No. 7 seed rematch in Knoxville.

Bender isn’t the only one with that projection. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach ($) also has the Tide taking on the Vols in Knoxville.

Alabama 2024 football schedule

Next up for Alabama are the Mercer Bears from the FCS ranks. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.

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Alabama sweeps SEC Offensive, Defensive Player of the Week honors

Alabama had three players win SEC awards on Monday afternoon.

As expected, the Alabama Crimson Tide featured heavily in the latest SEC Player of the Week honors announced by the conference Monday, which came as a result of the program’s impressive Week 11 victory over the LSU Tigers.

In all, Alabama would receive three of those weekly honors, beginning with starting quarterback Jalen Milroe being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week. Milroe would complete 12-of-18 passes for 109 yards, with easily his biggest impact coming in the ground game where he rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 12 attempts.

Alongside Milroe, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week due to his performance against LSU. The linebacker led Alabama in tackles with 12, while also compiling three TFL, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a PD.

Lastly, one other Alabama player received a honor, as Tyler Booker was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Booker helped pave the way for an Alabama team that rushed for a combined 311 yards and six touchdowns, while also averaging 6.5 yards per carry.