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Jalen Milroe carved out a unique spot for himself in Alabama history across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Now, he’s heading to the NFL Draft.
Milroe did not wait long after the conclusion of the ReliaQuest Bowl to reveal his decision. While it was always an expected one, some wondered if Milroe would return to school for one more year of development in Tuscaloosa.
Instead, the physically dynamic Milroe is heading to the 2025 NFL Draft. Here’s how he made his decision on social media:
To my teammates, my brothers, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears we’ve shared. The bonds we’ve built will last a lifetime. To Coach Saban, thank you for believing in me and instilling the standard of excellence in me. To Coach DeBoer, thank you for challenging me and helping me grow into the player and leader I am today.
To the entire Alabama family, thank you for embracing a kid from Texas allowing me the honor of wearing the script ‘A.’ Representing this university has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
Football has always been my passion, and since I was a kid, I dreamed of competing at the highest level. Through every win, every tough loss, and any criticism along the way, my love and dedication to this game has never wavered. Each day, my gratitude for the opportunity to play this sport I love only grows stronger.
Milroe experienced all the highs and lows that accompany being a college QB. Against Georgia, he delivered one of the best all-around performances and looked like one of the top QBs available for the 2025 Draft as a legit dual-threat performer.
But against Oklahoma and Michigan, Milroe struggled mightily with 4 combined interceptions and 6 total turnovers combined. He also threw 2 picks in the loss to Tennessee.
Milroe will go down in Crimson Tide lore as the final QB of the Nick Saban era and the first of Kalen DeBoer‘s tenure with the program. In 2023, he led Alabama to the Playoff but came up just short with the ball in his hands on the final play against Michigan during a Rose Bowl semifinal.
It will be interesting to see how Milroe’s stock for the draft shapes up. He will likely be expected to be one of the top athletic testers at QB in the pre-draft process, but questions about his ability to throw from the pocket must be addressed for the next level.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
