Tag: Jalen Milroe

Pre-Spring Position Preview: Breaking down the Alabama QBs

A closer look at the Alabama quarterbacks ahead of spring football practice

Before we know it, new Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer will hit the practice field with his Crimson Tide players for the first time when spring practice gets underway in March.

With the retirement of the legendary Nick Saban, there have not been this many question marks surrounding the football program since 2007 when Saban took over.

Contrary to popular belief, Alabama still has one of the most talented rosters in the country and should be right in the thick of the college football playoff conversation.

As the anticipation builds leading up to spring practice, Roll Tide Wire will preview each position group.

Let’s get it started with the quarterbacks:

Where does Jackson Arnold rank in early 2024 Heisman odds according to Fan Duel?

Jackson Arnold is already getting some preseason Heisman buzz before his first year as a starter.

If you think [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is going to win the [autotag]Heisman[/autotag] in 2024, now is the time to bet on it. You probably won’t see the odds this low again if he has the season you think he’s going to have.

Arnold is heading into his first year as the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. The sophomore quarterback showed flashes in games last year. Even though his bowl game was soured with all of the turnovers, he showed in that game why people are so high on him and his ability.

He’s definitely got all of the makings to be Oklahoma’s next great quarterback and Heisman contender. Arnold’s going to have plenty of opportunities to show out against several high-quality opponents.

So where does Arnold land in 2024 Heisman odds according to Fan Duel Sportsbook? Let’s take a look at the early contenders.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3006″ ] Fan Duel

2024 CFP National Championship odds per BetMGM

BetMGM gives Alabama the fourth-best odds to win the 2024 CFP

The college football season hasn’t even officially been over for a month yet and I am already bored out of my mind. Bama hoops are the only thing keeping me sane for now, but between the new coaching hires, the conference realignment, and the 12-team playoffs, everyone is just itching to see what the new college football landscape will be like.

For Alabama fans, it’s a different type of anticipation for this season. There are still lofty goals and expectations for the dawning the Crimson, but more than anything everyone is just ready to see what life post-Nick Saban will look like. I believe that DeBoer was a home-run hire, but that can’t be confirmed until the victories start adding up and a national championship is headed home.

Despite all of the changes coming to Tuscaloosa, they are still one of the hottest teams in the country to win the national championship next year per BetMGM:

Saturday Down South picks five most important returning SEC players

Quinn Ewers is one of Saturday Down South’s five most important returning SEC players.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is back for another season in Austin. Saturday Down South views his decision as one of the five most important returns in the SEC.

Ewers was a terrific player in 2023. Over the season, Ewers was No. 9 in the Power Five in passing yards (3,462) and No. 8 in completion percentage (68.5). He added 28 touchdown passes to only six interceptions on the season.

The third-year quarterback is expected to take another step forward in 2024. Though he’ll be throwing to different receivers, there will not be much of a talent drop-off, if any. Ewers’ top targets will likely be Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Bond, five-star receiver Johntay Cook and Houston receiver transfer Matthew Golden.

Here’s a look at Saturday Down South’s five most important returning players in the SEC.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe enters transfer portal

Jalen Milroe is moving on from Alabama

The exodus from Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement continued on Saturday.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe announced he is leaving the Crimson Tide via the Transfer Portal.

Milroe threw for 2,348 yards with 23 touchdowns against 6 interceptions in 2023.

He also rushed for 523 yards and 12 TDs.

Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond on Saturday paid a visit to Texas.

5 things Kalen DeBoer must do in his first day as Alabama’s head coach

The five most important acts Kalen DeBoer must complete in his first day as Alabama’s head coach

Replacing [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] was going to be an impossible task, but it feels like landing [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] is as good as it gets.

DeBoer is a proven winner with a 104-12 head coaching record. He is coming off a national title game appearance in just his second year with the Washington Huskies. He was reportedly athletic director Greg Byrne’s top target and the sides worked hard to get a deal done with almost no leaks.

DeBoer should be celebrated and enjoy the new promotion, but first thing in the morning we gotta get to work. Name, image and likeness licensing and the transfer portal have changed the game and allow you to essentially revamp your roster overnight, but DeBoer will have his work cut out for him. Many of the guys in the Alabama program came here because they wanted to play for Nick Saban, keeping them is going to require a sales pitch and a vision.

DeBoer has coordinator positions to fill, open roster spots and several other issues to attack. He has limited time to do so. Here are the five most important things DeBoer must do on his first day as head coach of the Crimson Tide:

Jalen Milroe shouts, ‘I’m staying’ to Alabama fans as Kalen DeBoer arrives

Jalen Milroe hints he intends to stay at Alabama despite HC change

It has been a whirlwind of a day for Alabama Crimson Tide fans as a new head coach was introduced for the first time in 17 years. Athletic director Greg Byrne requested 72 hours to make a hire, but it didn’t take 48 for him to land Washington Huskies [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag].

DeBoer has a 104-12 head coaching record and is coming off a national final appearance. DeBoer has been responsible for some of the best offenses in college football over the past few years, and retaining the guys on the current Alabama roster is the most important task he has in the days ahead.

Quarterback Michael Penix became a Heisman Trophy contender and first-round draft pick under DeBoer’s guidance, so there is a great deal of optimism regarding what he can do with Milroe. He has been a specialist at the wide receiver position, which should pique interest from Isaiah Bond and Ryan Williams again.

Nobody truly knows where players’ heads are at and if they want to transfer, but I think DeBoer has some really special qualities. So far, it seems like QB [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] is committed to staying. He chanted “Roll Tide” and “I’m staying” to Alabama fans as he entered Mal Moore practice facilities ahead of the Tide’s introductory meeting. Granted the situation can change, but it’s a positive sign that the core of the team is interested in staying.

If Milroe can stay with Alabama and help it navigate this through transition, he will have a chance to become a legend in his own right. It is going to be really exciting to see how the next 48 hours plays out.

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.

WATCH: New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer arrives in Tuscaloosa to crowd of fans

LOOK: Alabama fans swarm Kalen DeBoer as he arrives in Tuscaloosa

The Alabama Crimson Tide made the biggest hire of this coaching cycle when they landed Washington’s [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] to fill the vacancy left by [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag]. DeBoer has won everywhere he has been and is coming off a national championship appearance with the Huskies.

The fan base has responded incredibly well to DeBoer and seems to be all in on Saban’s successor.

The deal became official Friday afternoon. Within hours, DeBoer left Seattle for Tuscaloosa and arrived at 8:30 p.m. CT to a swarm of Alabama fans at the airport. The Crimson Tide faithful showed out: The crowd looked to be in the thousands. DeBoer spent a quick moment greeting the fans before he and athletic director Greg Byrne headed to Mal Moore Athletic Facility to meet with the team. His first task as the new man of the Crimson Tide will be recruiting and retaining the players currently on the roster

Jalen Milroe was one of the players seen walking into the facility screaming “Roll Tide.” After the meeting, players reportedly were yelling Roll Tide back to the fans with a strong sense of optimism.

Way-too-early ranking of Oklahoma Football’s 2024 opponents

A way-too-early look at how the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 opponents stack up.

For all but two teams, the 2023 college football season has come to a close. That means it’s time to look ahead to the 2024 season.

After making significant improvements on both sides of the ball in 2023, the Sooners jumped from six to 10 wins in Brent Venables’ second season. But now they move to the SEC and are breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

Additionally, they’ll have a completely new offensive line from the group that started for the majority of the season and a new starting quarterback after [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] left for Oregon.

Jackson Arnold takes the reins at quarterback for the Sooners. Despite his Alamo Bowl performance, the ceiling is very high for Arnold and the Sooners offense.

But they’ve got a difficult schedule in 2024, in particular when they get to SEC play. But how would you rank their opponents in 2024? Here’s how we ranked them here at Sooners Wire.

Way-too-early Heisman Trophy odds for 2024 season

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe at the top of FanDuel’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds

As crazy as it sounds, there will be no clear Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the 2024 season. A large reason for that is a lot of the contenders in 2023 like Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Jordan Travis, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Daniels will all be playing on Sundays next year.

With J.J. McCarthy likely heading pro, Alabama quarterback, Jalen Milroe, who finished sixth in the 2023 standings was the highest-voted player returning to college in 2024. As of right now, FanDuel has Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe all tied as the favorite to win the award at +750. All three quarterbacks will be playing in the SEC next season.

Coming off of a disappointing Rose Bowl performance, I think Milroe knows there is a lot of room for growth and will get back to the drawing board. It will also help to have a full off-season with Tommy Rees in Tuscaloosa. Backup quarterback Ty Simpson decided to stay in Tuscaloosa and battle it out for the starting job in 2024, so Milroe will have no room to be complacent.

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.