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The Alabama football team fell in its finale to Michigan ending Year 1 of the Kalen Deboer era on a sour note. QB Jalen Milroe took a brunt of the blame for that loss.
The passer struggled mightily against the Wolverines defense, finding the endzone just once in the 19-13 defeat. The performance did little to boost his fading NFL Draft stock.
Milroe completed 50% of his passes for a total of 192 yards. He also totaled just seven rushing yards on 16 attempts as Michigan racked up five sacks.
Milroe turned the ball over three times in a matter of four plays while seeing his team fall into a 16-0 first quarter hole. While the Tide attempted to mount a valiant comeback, those efforts ended with four straight incompletions from the 15-yard line on the final possession.
Now, the quarterback has a decision to make. He can return for one final season at the college level or enter the NFL Draft. Milroe was mum on his current outlook after the bowl game loss.
“Right now, I’m just going to try to soak up this moment today. Not really trying to focus on any future endeavors.”
-Jalen Milroe
Jalen Milroe has seen his name pop up on mock drafts throughout the season. Over the first half of the season, he was viewed as a first-round pick. That stock has slipped of late.
Milroe struggled mightily in his final three games, logging just one touchdown pass to five interceptions against Michigan, Auburn, and Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide lost two of those three contests.
Greg Auman of FOX Sports commented on those draft hopes after the ReliaQuest Bowl game’s conclusion.
“If Milroe were to enter this year’s draft, he would be somewhere in the second tier of a generally weak QB class, with early projections having him as a second-day draft pick, going in the second or third round. Top college quarterbacks are coveted in today’s world of NIL and the transfer portal, so it’s possible that he could have lucrative offers to finish his college career elsewhere.”
Should this be his final season with the Crimson Tide, it certainly wasn’t the finish he’d hoped for. Some believe they’ve identified a reason for his poor play against the Wolverines.
Jalen Milroe suspected of tipping plays.
Joe Gaither of Sports Illustrated viewed the bowl game tape and noticed the quarterback’s tendency to line up differently on run plays vs. passes. When he wanted to throw, he lined up in a staggered stance.
Here’s every passing play that Alabama called on Tuesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
What do you notice in the Crimson Tide passing game? pic.twitter.com/aCqd0V1L2b
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) January 2, 2025
On run plays, however, his feet were often parallel before the snap. He was giving the Michigan defense pre-snap intel each time he broke the huddle.
Here’s every rushing play that Alabama called on Tuesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
What do you notice in the Crimson Tide running game? pic.twitter.com/JT7zNqy1Tk
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) January 2, 2025
How much it helped, we can’t be certain. If the Wolverines caught onto his alignment, though, it certainly would’ve been beneficial to know when Alabama was airing it out or keeping it on the ground.
As we noted, Michigan pinned its ears back while racking up those five sacks. It also had an answer for the Crimson Tide’s run game, holding the offense to 68 yards on 29 carries.
The optics don’t look great for Jalen Milroe as he gathers information on his NFL Draft future. It will be an interesting storyline to follow this offseason.