In Jalen Milroe, Alabama Football has something other teams lack

There are other good quarterbacks in the SEC but Alabama Football's Jalen Milroe has something the other good QBs lack. Milroe has the 'it' factor. 'It' starts with the young man being a leader his teammates eagerly follow. 'It' continues with his balance of relaxed confidence and blistering intensity. Even more apparent when watching Milroe play, is his ability to make game-changing plays.

Jalen will work with his third Alabama Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks coach this Fall. Given he will be running Kalen DeBoer's offense, Nick Shepherd and DeBoer could be considered Jalen's third and fourth OCs since he came to Tuscaloosa.

With no intention of bashing Bill O'Brien or Tommy Rees, it can be fairly stated Milroe has not played for coaches who match the confidence shown in him by DeBoer and Shepherd. Jalen recently spoke about his head coach, saying "Coach DeBoer is super confident in me and speaks that every single day I get to see him. You love to hear that, player to coach. And when it comes to X's and O's, he's helped narrow down things I can be great at and the things I can improve on."

At SEC Media Days, Alabama teammate Tyler Booker predicted that under DeBoer, Jalen will "go to a whole new level." Opposing players are well aware of Milroe's skills. SEC opponents talk about having "the utmost respect for Jalen Milroe"; "he's real good at running ... he can fly"; "he can do it all"; "He doesn’t look like an average quarterback. Playing against him was similar to playing Jayden Daniels."

Alabama Football has a threat other SEC teams don't

Also at SEC Media Days, Nick Saban was specific about what sets Milroe apart from other talented quarterbacks. His former coach explained that, unlike all the other SEC quarterbacks, Milroe makes defenses play differently. "You can’t rush four guys, you’ve got to have a rat on the guy mirroring him, spying him. You’re just looking at the quarterback, you’re not rushing, so when he scrambles you can get him on the ground. Not easy to play man-to-man. You start playing man-to-man everybody has their back to the quarterback, he takes off, there’s nobody to get him on the ground. So he makes you play different on defense, which I think makes everybody else on their offense better."

Milroe finished sixth in last season's Heisman voting. He could win it this season. Whether he does or not Jalen Milroe makes Alabama a legitimate National Championship contender.