The extent to which Jalen Milroe needs to improve depends heavily on the performance of the Alabama Football defense. As Fall Camp reaches its midpoint, Alabama football fans are feeling optimistic, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions or concerns—especially when it comes to replacing a legendary quarterback.
There are high hopes that Kalen DeBoer’s offense will mesh well with the Crimson Tide’s talent. However, most of the doubts surrounding the new offense focus on Jalen Milroe. DeBoer’s complex system will demand more from Milroe than just explosive plays; it requires a quarterback who can consistently make quick, accurate decisions and efficiently utilize multiple playmakers. Last season, Milroe was a solid quarterback, ranking fifth among all FBS quarterbacks with a QB rating of 172.17 and tying for 24th in completion percentage at 65.8%. But how much does he need to improve in 2024? Consider that DeBoer led Washington to the National Championship game with Michael Penix Jr., who had a QB rating of 157.06 and a 65.4% completion rate.
The level of improvement needed from Milroe will largely depend on the Crimson Tide’s schedule, which includes five regular-season games against College Football Playoff contenders. Since January, the prevailing belief has been that Alabama’s transition could make them vulnerable to multiple regular-season losses. If this proves true, Milroe may need to significantly outperform his previous season.
However, if Kane Wommack’s defense surpasses last season’s performance, Milroe might not need to improve as much. While the rebuilt secondary will require time to develop, Alabama’s defense could potentially exceed the 19 points allowed per game last season.
Crimson Tide fans are hoping for a return to the defensive dominance seen under Nick Saban from 2008 to 2017, during which Alabama led the nation in Scoring Defense four times and consistently ranked in the top four. However, in Saban’s last six seasons, Alabama’s defense ranked in the top 10 only once—at No. 9 in 2022, allowing 18.2 points per game. Last season, the defense ranked 16th in the FBS, with an average of 19 points allowed per game, similar to the 18.9-point average over the past six seasons.
The question now is whether Kane Wommack can elevate Alabama’s defense. While it’s impossible to predict with certainty, Alabama likely has one of the deepest defensive rosters in college football. It’s reasonable to expect the less experienced defensive starters to show significant improvement by November. Until then, could the Crimson Tide find themselves in shootouts against teams like Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri? If so, Milroe may need to be more than just slightly better than last season.
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