Jalen Milroe is making the leap, and putting the college football world on notice

Alabama's Jalen Milroe was one of the most polarizing figures in college football last season, maybe no more so than within his own fanbase. The naysayers were loud after his performance against Texas in his third career start. He was benched against South Florida, but started Alabama's last 11 games and led the Crimson Tide to an SEC Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff, where they came up short in overtime against Michigan at the Rose Bowl.

Even after a season where he finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, some vocal members of the fanbase still questioned whether Milroe was a good enough passer to lead the team and if the Crimson Tide would be better off if the reigns were handed to Ty Simpson, instead.

If that noise has affected Milroe, he's never shown it. He was one of the main leaders who rallied the team in the uncertain hours following Nick Saban's retirement, and never flirted with the Transfer Portal despite what would have been a myriad of suitors lining up to cut seven-figure NIL checks.

Hiring Kalen DeBoer was exciting for a variety of reasons, maybe none more so than what he might be able to do with Milroe. Not just helping him develop as a passer, but tailoring an offense around the strengths of arguably the most athletic quarterback in college football. The sins of Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees last season was trying to force Milroe to be something that he isn't; trying to fit a round peg in a square hole and run the Tua/Mac/Bryce offense with a much different QB. Alabama's offense began flourishing last year when the calls started favoring what Milroe did best.

After the first three games of 2024, it's obvious to everyone outside of a very vocal minority that Milroe has grown as a passer, and become possibly even more dynamic as a runner with the aid of an improved offensive line that finally got to full strength for the Tide's road tilt in Madison.

Milroe joined elite company, becoming the first QB since 2012 to have three consecutive games with multiple passing and rushing touchdowns. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was the last player to accomplish that feat. He threw three touchdowns and ran in two more against Wisconsin, upping his total touchdowns to 14 on the young season, two more than anyone else in the country.

In spite of the noise, Milroe finished 5th in QBR among qualifed passers last season at 172.2. He's raised that 41-points so far in 2024, sitting at 213.4. He's not a perfect passer by any means. He struggles at times bailing the pocket early and trying too hard to hit the deep shots instead of taking what the defense allows. But you are kidding yourself if you don't see the development, don't see him going through his progressions more and more to find the right receiver, and not the receiver the play tells him to throw to.

The read-option game is growing, too. Last year, the staff didn't trust that Milroe could make the correct read so it was predetermined every time. Against Wisconsin, Milroe successfully ran the read several times, with no predetermined looks. DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan have shown Milroe that they believe in him, and he's thriving as a result.

Milroe has a Heisman Trophy case three weeks into the season. Per FanDuel, Milroe has the second best odds behind only Miami's Cam Ward after the injury to Texas QB Quinn Ewers. The Heisman Trophy is no question a personal goal for Milroe, and something that would provide sweet vindication and something to hold over the heads of all the naysayers, including his first offensive coordinator at Alabama, Bill O'Brien, who told him he needed to change positions and was not a quarterback.

Now, Milroe has not only proven that he is a quarterback, but that he is one of the very best in the entire country. But knowing the type of leader and person Milroe is, you know his No. 1 goal is to lead Alabama to a national championship, which would provide the last laugh even more so than hoisting ol' stiff-arm.

If the Milroe we saw yesterday at Camp Randall is the Milroe we're going to get the rest of the way, then the rest of college football is on notice.