Alabama QB Jalen Milroe dishes on Nick Saban retirement, playing under Kalen DeBoer

06/27/2024 02:47 PM

As the Alabama football program prepares for the start of the 2024 season, much has changed in Tuscaloosa. With the proliferation of the transfer portal, this is not abnormal, but what Alabama is undergoing is a whole different story. After seventeen seasons and a staggering six National Championships, Nick Saban stepped down as head coach of the Crimson Tide back in January. Stepping in for the living legend is former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, whose meteoric rise through the coaching ranks has led him to what many consider to be the most prestigious job in all of college football.

The one constant in Tuscaloosa is quarterback Jalen Milroe, who started his college career at Alabama in 2021, and plans to stay there until he completes his Master’s degree.

“Initially before I got here I told my parents, ‘I want to get my degree in three years.’ I was able to achieve that in three years in December and check that off the check list of what I wanted to accomplish,” Milroe shared during a sit-down with Chris Hummer of 247Sports. “After I finished that degree, I told my parents, before Coach Saban even retired, ‘I’m going to get my master’s degree from Alabama.’ Nothing is going to allow me to shy away from that or sway my decision. Now I’m working on my master’s at Alabama.”

Milroe will be staying at Alabama to get a master’s in Sports Management after graduating with a degree in Business back in December. But in the business of college football, nobody would’ve blamed Jalen Milroe if he had left Alabama after Nick Saban announced his retirement. After all, Saban is synonymous with the University of Alabama football program in a way that only a handful of individuals have ever been with the school they coached at.

“That was definitely a hard moment in everyone’s eyes, with the transition of him retiring,” Milroe said of Saban. “He has to do what’s best for him, and that’s exactly what he did. So I support him 100%. Now as players we have to do what’s best for us. I felt like Alabama was the right place I needed to be at. I’m definitely confident in my decision and glad I stayed. When it comes to branding as a program, there are only two other brands I can say are as great a caliber as Alabama, and it’s the Cowboys and the Yankees. Bama has a unique foundation that’s here. There are great people that are here to help uplift you.”

Now, the question is, how capable is Kalen DeBoer of uplifting Jalen Milroe?

Alabama’s ceiling under Kalen DeBoer 

Although Kalen DeBoer’s doesn’t come to Alabama with decades of experience as a high-level collegiate coach — DeBoer has only coached in a Power Four conference for two years — his career record as a head coach is a staggering 104-12 in stops at Washington, Fresno State, and the Sioux Falls Cougars of the NAIA. Additionally, his resume includes stints as the offensive coordinator for Indiana, Eastern Michigan and Southern Illinois.

Life will be much different for Kalen DeBoer as he takes over for the program with the 2nd-most wins and the most National Championships in the modern era of college football. Consider Jalen Milroe one who is excited for the challenge.

“Spring ball was a great opportunity to get acclimated with the new coaching staff, with Coach DeBoer, and all the new offensive coaches that was in place,” Milroe shared with 247Sports. “Coach DeBoer is very intelligent and has a great scheme. It’s definitely evident as to why they’re so successful on offense no matter where he is, for the quarterback position, and it’s the system he has in place. There are so many things the quarterback has in terms of resources so they can be the best them every time they snap the ball.”

The SEC is loaded with championship caliber teams. It’s possible that as many as five SEC programs will be in contention for a berth in the newly-introduced 12-team College Football Playoff field. And yes, that includes Alabama.

Even with the departure of Nick Saban, it doesn’t mean the Tide will stop rolling.

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