Jalen Milroe’s development this offseason is of paramount importance for Alabama. That makes him arguably the most decisive force in the SEC next season. Which, of course, means his influence on the national title picture is huge.

So far, so good in the eyes of Milroe’s new head coach.

With Kalen DeBoer replacing Nick Saban and bringing his aerial assault that tormented Pac-12 defenses for 2 years to Tuscaloosa, all eyes are on Milroe this spring and summer. DeBoer’s Washington teams were powered by the heat-seeking bazooka masquerading as Michael Penix Jr.’s left arm. Jake Haener threw for 4,096 yards at Fresno State in 2021 working within DeBoer’s offense. The first-year Alabama coach hasn’t had a quarterback like Milroe at the FBS level.

Worst-case scenario? The mixture proves to be like oil and water and Alabama is outpaced in a discordant SEC. That’s a long way off, though. And Milroe has made a strong impression on DeBoer with his work so far.

During a recent appearance on The Audible with Stew & Bruce podcast, DeBoer told The Athletic writers that Milroe is “taking advantage of the moment” as he leads the Crimson Tide through spring ball while trying to learn his third offense in three years.

“He’s been great, just listening, trying the things that are little tweaks here and there that we think he can improve on,” DeBoer told the podcast co-hosts. “He’s open to kind of re-learning. He was as quick as anyone in understanding the base concepts when we were installing them. That wasn’t just coming through the moments of the week. That was coming because he was putting the preparation and work in when he walked out of the facility as well.”

When it comes to leading a team, there’s not much left that Milroe needs to show.

A team captain last season, he was benched early in the year only to return to the starting unit and lead a run to the Playoff. He willed his team to an Iron Bowl win. He delivered an SEC championship. Back for another year, Milroe is a foundational piece of the team.

The necessary development will be purely as a passer.

Milroe’s legs are a weapon, and it’ll be incumbent upon DeBoer to figure out how best to use that weapon. But DeBoer is at Alabama because of his passing game and its ability to move pieces on the board, put coverages at odds, and hammer the miscues.

In 2020, DeBoer’s first season at Fresno State, Haener threw it 39 times a game. In 2021, Haener averaged 38 attempts. Penix averaged 43 passes a game in 2022 and then 37 a game last year. In all 4 instances, the passers were among the nation’s 10 most pass-happy quarterbacks.

Last season, Milroe threw it 22 times a game. Regardless of how influential the QB run element will be on Alabama’s course of attack, Milroe is going to have to make throws. Penix was exceptional as a downfield thrower in 2023, but so too was Milroe. Per PFF, Jayden Daniels was the only Power 5 QB with a better passing grade on 20-plus-yard throws than Milroe. Both he and Penix each had 16 touchdowns on such throws.

Where Penix was deadly, and where Milroe can grow, was in the intermediate portion of the field. Penix completed 64% of his throws between 10 and 19 yards, accounting for 12 touchdowns on a steady diet. Milroe was at a 52.3% completion rate. Penix consistently threaded the needle, firing lasers into tight windows. Milroe has the arm talent to make those same throws.

So much of DeBoer’s attack is centered around pre-snap shifting designed to tip the defense’s hand. Penix was able to diagnose pre-snap and make the correct decisions on the fly. Milroe will need to show he can do the same to operate things smoothly.

To his credit, he’s working.

“You can’t beat him in,” DeBoer told The Athletic. “We do have strength staff that get there around that time (4 a.m.) and they’re with him as well. But the guy is taking advantage of every minute in the day. You love guys that want it that bad to where they’ll make those sacrifices and those commitments at that level.

“He’s not doing it to say, ‘Look at me’ or anything like that. But our team recognizes how important this is to him, and how important the team is to him as well. You first start there. You see a guy who is hungry, who is looking for more things to be coached up on.”

DeBoer will feel different from his predecessor, at least from Milroe’s perspective, on the practice field. DeBoer will have his hand in everything, but he’ll spend a healthy amount of time with the quarterbacks. The relationship between deBoer and Milroe will become a strong one; that’s by design.

If it works, Milroe can make good on his preseason buzz.

Milroe currently has the third-shortest odds (+1400) to win the Heisman at DraftKings. FanDuel has him priced at +1500, which would put him sixth at that sportsbook — the same spot he finished in voting for the 2023 award. He’ll be among the favorites to win the award with most of the best betting apps throughout the preseason.

Alabama is also unsurprisingly one of the preseason favorites to win the national championship next season. If it excels against a star-studded schedule in 2024, Milroe will see his own personal star rise.

Get on the bandwagon early and hope for the best.

“Physically, he’s got tools with both his arms and his legs,” DeBoer told The Athletic. “That’s showed up already in the first three practices. Whether it’s making throws down the field, or throwing with some zip from one hash to the opposite sideline. Then just his mobility, whether it’s keeping plays alive or really hitting home runs where he escapes, or maybe even a designed quarterback run.

“He’s just got a lot of tools that are going to be fun to be a part of. Now it’s just keeping him healthy, keeping him upright. Continuing to grow in the offense. Him building that trust in the people that are around him, whether it’s the offensive line or the receivers, he’s doing a great job here through three practices, for sure.”