Tag: Jalen Milroe

CFB expert predicts two losses on Alabama’s 2024 schedule

See which two games one expert believes Alabama will lose in the 2024 college football season.

The upcoming 2024 college football season will be interesting for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Not only does the program have to recover from a headline-worthy coaching change, but there was significant roster turnover and the landscape of college football is impacted by serious change.

When legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his decision to retire, the Crimson Tide moved quickly to hire one of the best coaches in the nation, former Washington Huskies lead man, Kalen DeBoer.

Throughout the offseason, experts, analysts, and fans have had a difficult time projecting how Alabama will perform in 2024 with a new coach, a handful of key contributors gone by way of the NFL draft and transfer portal, and with mass conference realignment going into effect.

One college football pundit, Will Backus of CBS Sports predicts the Crimson Tide will lose two games in the upcoming 2024 season: at home against the Georgia Bulldogs and on the road against the Tennessee Volunteers.

“There’s no reason to expect significant drop off from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer,” writes Backus. “The Crimson Tide will still be right around the top of the conference and in the College Football Playoff conversation all year long. That being said, Alabama did lose some key players to the transfer portal and have some questions on the roster — including immense turnover at both receiver and in the defensive secondary — that might have them losing some tough games against other premier SEC programs. Ten wins is still more than enough to make a 12-team playoff field, and the Crimson Tide certainly have the capability for more, especially with DeBoer’s track record.”

Expectations are somewhat mitigated for the dynastic program that was still able to reach the final four-team College Football Playoffs despite having an off season. For DeBoer, the pressure is on. While fans aren’t sure what to expect, they do know what they want: to win.

Competing for national championships has become the standard in Tuscaloosa, and Alabama has consistently been in contention to reach the playoffs just about every single year of the format’s decade-long existence.

Losing two games in 2024, as Backus projects, may seem like a sub-standard season for the Crimson Tide. However, it is important to remember that with the playoff field expanding to 12 teams, there’s still a high likelihood that the 10-win resumé would be enough to get them in.

Only time will tell how Alabama will perform in the upcoming season. The nation will get its first glimpse at the post-Saban era on Aug. 31 as the Crimson Tide takes on Western Kentucky at home in Bryant-Denny Stadium to begin the 2024 season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

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Alabama has top-3 offense in EA Sports’ College Football 25

Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense is one of the highest-rated units in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 game!

New Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach Kalen DeBoer has a strong background of producing high-quality offenses. In 2024, he inherits a roster loaded with talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. One the key contributors returning to the team for the upcoming season is star quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Milroe will have the benefit of being coached by DeBoer and arguably having the strongest offensive line in college football, as well as some impressive skill position players.

The Crimson Tide offense in 2024 will be the star of the show, and EA Sports has taken notice of that fact by ranking Alabama No. 3 in the offensive unit rankings for its upcoming video game, EA Sports College Football 25.

The only teams ahead of Alabama are the Georgia Bulldogs and the Oregon Ducks, but this may be subject to change as the season progresses.

Overall, the Tide’s offense received a ranking of 91, which is tied with the Texas Longhorns. This leaves the team only three points lower than the rankings for Georgia and Oregon, both of which received an overall offensive ranking of 94.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the start to the 2024 college football season approaches.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe could be the top quarterback of the 2025 NFL Draft

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe could be the top quarterback of the 2025 NFL Draft

One of the most intriguing prospects in next years draft class has got to be the quarterback for the Crimson Tide, Jalen Milroe. Possessing just about everything teams are looking for in a ‘new era’ quarterback, Milroe’s ceiling as a player is through the roof, but his floor seems to be quite deep as well. With a cannon arm and excellent athletic ability, Milroe is a big play waiting to happen whenever he takes the snap.

Throughout the year Milroe showed flashes of greatness, alongside that he showed a natural progression of a quarterback improving with each week. While the early bumps of his season were downright brutal, towards the end of the year Milroe was mostly locked in and was clearly one of the best players on the field at any given game. While issues still persist within his mechanics and accuracy, the playmaking potential showed up more often than the errors in Milroe’s mechanics.

Milroe very clearly has things he needs to improve on going into the 2024 College Football season, but if he can really take in all his coaching and refine some of the more technical aspects of playing the position, he has shown enough to be catapulted to the top of a currently underwhelming quarterback draft class.

Where does Alabama’s QB room rank among other elite teams in 2024?

Alabama returns starting QB Jalen Milroe and has some respectable depth, but how does it compare to other teams?

Before the 2023 college football season, there was great uncertainty regarding the quarterback position for the Alabama Crimson Tide. A three-man battle between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner ensued, but it was Milroe who won the job. Ahead of the 2024 season, fans are excited to see what the incumbent starter will perform.

One of the things that makes college football special is the constant rotation of players. Whether they lose eligibility, declare for the NFL draft or transfer, there will always be players coming and going from each program. The quarterback position is no exception to this.

Milroe finished the 2023 season with enough Heisman Trophy votes to finish No. 6 in the final tally. In 2024, he’ll look to win it all and then some. Not only is Milroe a candidate for the coveted trophy, but he’s also viewed by experts as a possible early first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Recently, Pro Football Focus (PFF) put together a ranking of the 10 best quarterback rooms in all of college football for the upcoming season. Milroe and his fellow quarterbacks on the roster have the Crimson Tide ranked No. 5 in the nation.

“Alabama might be losing the greatest coach of all time in Nick Saban, but the team still returns a top-five quarterback in college football. Jalen Milroe is a big play waiting to happen with his elite tools. The redshirt sophomore ranked second in the nation with a 9.2% big-time throw rate in 2023, and his 35 runs of 10-plus yards were the fourth most among FBS quarterbacks. Milroe’s 96.9 passing grade on deep throws trailed only Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, as well.”

While the focus may be primarily on Milroe as the starter, Pro Football Focus also gives credit to the depth first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer will have in Tuscaloosa.

“Ty Simpson will once again serve as his backup, impressing in that role with an 83.5 grade on 93 snaps last year. He was also a five-star recruit and the second-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class. The Crimson Tide also have a pair of quarterbacks from the 2023 class who were top-20 recruits at the position in Dylan Lonergan and Washington transfer Austin Mack.”

The only teams ahead of Alabama in the rankings are the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 3 Texas Longhorns, No. 2 Oregon Ducks and No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

Alabama will be under a microscope throughout the 2024 season, as fans and analysts are curious to see how the team performs in its first season without legendary head coach Nick Saban in nearly two decades. The performance of the team will rely heavily on Milroe to orchestrate a DeBoer-led offense.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Jalen Milroe is a top 5 pick in latest 2025 NFL mock draft

Is it early? Yes. However, see what experts think about Alabama QB Jalen Milroe as the 2024 season approaches.

After a rough start to the 2023 season, Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterback returns to his role at the helm of the Alabama offense in 2024. With a new, offensive-minded head coach in Kalen DeBoer, there are high expectations for Milroe in the upcoming season.

Heading into the beginning of last season, Milroe was fighting in a three-man QB competition with Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner. He ultimately won the job, but couldn’t find a groove early in the season. After a Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns, Milroe was benched in Week 3’s road game against USF.

After that, Milroe was the clear-cut starter for the team and steadily improved every week. By the end of the season, Milroe finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

It may be early, but a good indicator of how experts believe a college player will perform in the upcoming season is to look at way-too-early NFL mock drafts.

The latest mock draft by Curt Popejoy of the Draft Wire has Milroe being selected No. 5 overall in 2025 by the New York Giants.

Popejoy did not include any rationale behind this pick, but if the Giants are in need of a quarterback to replace Daniel Jones, Milroe may be the best option available at pick No. 5, but he is not QB1 in the draft. Popejoy has Milroe being the second quarterback drafted, with Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs, who is selected first overall to the Carolina Panthers.

Milroe finished the 2023 season with an impressive 65.8% completion, 2,834 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing six interceptions. On the ground, Milroe rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The 2024 Alabama football season will begin in a few months as the Tide takes on Western Kentucky on Aug. 31 in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason approaches.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

How Kalen DeBoer can bring out the best version of Jalen Milroe

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe will be “dangerous” to opposing defenses if new head coach Kalen DeBoer does this one thing.

The upcoming Alabama Crimson Tide football season features plenty of changes. Kalen DeBoer has replaced Nick Saban as the team’s head coach, the SEC format has changed as the conference welcomes the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns and the College Football Playoff expands to a 12-team format. One of the only constants from 2023 to this upcoming season is quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Milroe returns to the Crimson Tide in 2024 and is praised nationally as one of the best incumbent starting quarterbacks in all of college football. The success of the Tide this season will rely on the performance of Milroe.

Saban was a defensive-minded head coach but had plenty of noteworthy, talented quarterbacks in recent seasons. DeBoer is quite the opposite. The former offensive coordinator has a strong record of working with and building up quarterbacks, which leads many to believe the Jalen-Kalen pairing may be a perfect match.

College football analyst J.D. PicKell recently broke down what DeBoer should do in order to get the most out of Milroe. Overall, it comes down to getting Milroe into a rhythm.

“To me, Jalen Milroe being in rhythm consistently creates more confidence,” said PicKell. “You give me a confident Jalen Milroe throwing the football play in and play out where he is consistent, that is going to be dangerous.”

Milroe is coming off of a 2023 season that began a bit rocky. Leading up to the start of the season, Milroe was working with a young offensive coordinator, had to compete in a three-man positional battle and was even benched after a Week 2 loss at home to the Longhorns.

Steady improvement led to Milroe finishing the season as the sixth-highest vote-getter in the Heisman Trophy race. He looks to build on last year’s performance and craft a strong 2024 season that will help his team win, and possibly put him in a position to be a 2025 first-round selection.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Jalen Milroe and all Alabama football news as the offseason progresses.

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The one part of Jalen Milroe’s game that needs improvement might be the easiest

See what experts believe Alabama QB Jalen Milroe must improve on to improve as a quarterback.

Alabama Crimson Tide football quarterback Jalen Milroe returns for the 2024 season after finishing 2023 with a stretch of strong performances. He enters the upcoming season as a Heisman Trophy hopeful, a highly-rated returning starter and a possible first-round grade for the 2025 NFL draft.

Milroe’s start to the 2023 season was a bit unconventional. After wining a three-man quarterback competition, he was benched for the Crimson Tide’s Week 3 game against USF, which immediately followed a tough loss at home to the Texas Longhorns.

From Week 4 and beyond, Milroe steadily improved and ultimately finished as the sixth-highest voter getter for the Heisman Trophy.

As the focus shifts to the upcoming season, experts want to see Milroe improve in one area. According to ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid, his biggest weakness is his short-yardage passing (subscription required).

“Milroe lacks consistency on short-to-intermediate throws due to faulty footwork. That leads to delayed decision-making and unreliable ball placement when he needs to get the ball out quickly. He shows more comfort when afforded time to see things unfold down the field.”

Ironically, Milroe’s best quality in Reid’s opinion is his accuracy in deep passes. “Milroe is aggressive throwing downfield, as his 34 completions of 20-plus air yards last season ranked fourth in the FBS.”

There are only a couple of months before the start of the Crimson Tide 2024 football season, and Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow all things Alabama football news as the offseason progresses.

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Alabama has one of the best QB situations in all of college football

Jalen Milroe is set to return as the Alabama starting QB in 2024, and experts believe it doesn’t get much better anywhere else.

After a rocky start to the 2023 season for Alabama Crimson Tide football quarterback Jalen Milroe, he finished the season strong and returns to make an impact in the upcoming 2024 season. He’s now being praised as one of the best quarterbacks in college football, putting Alabama in a great position to succeed in a season full of uneasiness.

In 2023, Milroe appeared in 13 games and completed 187 of his 284 passing attempts (65.8) for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing six interceptions. His ability to run the ball as a fast and elusive rusher also makes him one of the nation’s most dangerous quarterbacks. Last season, he ran the ball 161 times for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.

ESPN’s David Hale recently ranked all 134 teams by quarterback situation (subscription required) and grouped them into tiers.

Alabama, thanks to Milroe, was in the highest tier along with Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs, Dillon Gabriel of the Oregon Ducks and Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns.

“No QB had a higher percentage of his dropbacks come vs. zone last season than Milroe (70.2%),” write Hale. “Interestingly, Milroe actually thrived vs. zone coverage (11.2 yards per pass, 64.9 raw QBR, 16 TD, 4 INT) and struggled more vs. man coverage (8.3 yards per pass, 55.4 raw QBR, 5 TDs and 2 picks).”

Along with Milroe is a mention of likely QB2 on the Alabama football depth chart, Ty Simpson.

The 2024 Crimson Tide football season is rapidly approaching and Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Jalen Milroe has ‘top-end speed’ in EA Sports College Football 25 video game

Will you be playing as Jalen Milroe and Alabama in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game?

On July 19, 2024, fans of all ages from all across the nation will be glued to their gaming consoles as the decade-long hiatus of the EA Sports College Football franchise comes to an end. Alabama Crimson Tide football fans can look forward to playing as their favorite players and leading the Tide to the College Football Playoffs and winning it all.

However, Alabama fans won’t be alone in using Crimson Tide players, especially star quarterback Jalen Milroe.

According to popular YouTube content creator Eric Ray, who has plenty of gameplay on EA Sports’ other football-oriented video game, “Madden,” Milroe may be the quarterback of choice for a lot of future players of EA Sports College Football 25.

Ray had an opportunity to play the upcoming and highly-anticipated video game and took to YouTube to share his thoughts on the game. When it came to Milroe, he talked about why his character in the game may be one of the best at the quarterback position.

“Jalen Milroe from Alabama, when I was playing with them, and I would take off running with Milroe, you feel that top-end speed,” states Ray. “If you’re not a good user, you really feel the power of somebody like a Jalen Milroe because he’s that much harder to tackle than a lesser guy because he’s just so quick and so shifty.”

The wait is almost over for fans who are eager to play the game and Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as it relates to the EA Sports College Football video game.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Alabama football announced kick off time for Week 3 game against USF

Alabama vs. USF set to kick off in primetime at 6 p.m. CT

The Alabama Crimson Tide have announced their fourth kickoff time of the 2024 season as they will host the USF Bulls at 6:00 p.m. CT in Week 2 under the lights.

After traveling to Tampa in 2023, the Tide will have two home games against the Bulls in 2024 and 2026 as part of a special two-for-one deal.

The Alabama faithful hope this year’s matchup is significantly less stressful than a year ago as the Tide survived USF in a monsoon by an ugly score of 17-3. Most notably, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe didn’t appear in the game after being benched due to a poor performance against the Texas Longhorns in Week 2.

There will obviously be some growing pains in Kalen DeBoer’s first couple of games in charge, but I think the Alabama team as a whole will want to make a statement after last year’s showing.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

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.