Alabama’s offense has evolved a great deal under head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. Quarterback Jalen Milroe is back at the helm for year two as the starter, and both he and the unit as a whole look completely different from last season.
The creativity of DeBoer and Sheridan was on display in Alabama’s most recent win over the Georgia Bulldogs. The offense gave the Bulldogs a lot of new looks, particularly in the first half, and Milroe ultimately spread the ball around to 11 different receivers en route to a 374-yard passing day.
He connected with six different wide receivers, three tight ends, and two running backs to accentuate Alabama’s supremely deep rooms at the offensive skill positions.
So far this season, however, Jalen Milroe has been especially dangerous with his legs. The designed quarterback run has been a staple of the offense, resulting in Milroe leading the team with 52 carries for 273 yards and eight touchdowns.
Even though he is constantly flanked by two dynamic backs in Jam Miller and Justice Haynes, Milroe has become the focal point of the ground game. The current coaching staff has instilled a confidence in him as a designed runner that simply wasn’t there for much of last season, and it has opened up the Crimson Tide offense.
Depth in the Alabama QB room
Though Milroe silenced all doubters with his performance against Georgia, even recently there remained a minority collective of the Alabama fan base that believed Ty Simpson should be the Tide’s starting quarterback. While I have strongly disagreed with that sentiment going back to last season, it has become pretty clear that Simpson is ready if needed.
The redshirt sophomore is a polished passer who carries himself with maturity beyond his years. He looks very comfortable running the Alabama offense when he gets opportunities, and he can move too. If not for Milroe’s generational athleticism, we might be talking about Ty Simpson as Alabama’s best running quarterback since Jalen Hurts.
Having Simpson as an insurance policy might make Alabama a little more comfortable with using Jalen Milroe in the designed run game. Last season, an injury to Milroe likely would’ve decimated the Tide’s chances to win the SEC and make the College Football Playoff. This year, that’s not necessarily the case. As a result, opponents are getting a full dose of Milroe and the Alabama coaching staff is capitalizing on every ounce of his skill set.
Pick your poison when facing the Alabama offense
This offensive evolution has made Jalen Milroe the most dangerous player in the entire sport. When the Alabama offense is clicking, it’s virtually unguardable. Further, I highly doubt we have seen everything this unit has to offer. The Georgia game may have just been the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Coach DeBoer and Coach Sheridan have a very deep bag of tricks, and Sheridan has been quoted as saying Milroe still has “room to grow.”
As the season progresses, look for Alabama to continue to benefit from the establishment of Milroe and the designed run game. No one has figured out how to stop it yet. As defenses begin to key on Milroe more and more going forward, it will open up running lanes for guys like Miller and Haynes.
It’s pick your poison with this offense. Jalen Milroe’s skill set is nearly impossible to defend on its own and, now that he has made drastic improvements as a decision-maker, there are no right answers for opposing defenses.