Analysts calling you bad is still acceptable, but when a player who has played for Bama and is pretty much a legend calls you out? Then there is a problem. Jalen Milroe. Okay, this entire season has made fans realize one specific thing: every QB you thought was elite in 2023 has somehow lost their touch. Jalen Milroe falls under that category. Milroe was massive for Bama back in 2023. Yeah, it was the last Nick Saban era, but to see this guy become a laughingstock in 2024 has been painful. Like how exactly do you manage to go 42% completion with only 11 out of 26 passes landed against a team like Oklahoma?

With all of that in mind, is he even ready for the NFL? Even better question: Is he even ready to take up another season with Alabama? Ex-Bama RB Damien Harris doesn’t think so. “Should he go to the draft or should he not? I don’t think he should go to the draft cause I don’t think he is NFL-ready. I think you should hit the transfer portal,” Harris pointed out.

A lot to take in over here, so let’s dissect them one by one. Is he ready for the NFL? Let’s be real here. Jalen Milroe is a better rusher than a passer. If you compare his LSU and Bulldogs game with the Sooners game, it pretty much confirms that. Milroe went for 4 rushing touchdowns against LSU and 2 rushing touchdowns against the Dawgs. Yeah, you can blame OC Nick Sheridan for playing Milroe as a passer against Oklahoma, but at the same time, as a QB, your team would expect you to land at least something, right?

If Milroe ends up in the NFL, he is going to have a nightmare. With how easily the Sooners managed to curb his rushing in that game, we expect NFL teams are going to do a much better job. Then again, over there, Milroe will also have access to better coaching staff, so there is also a flip side.

Now, if he hits the transfer portal and ends up in another SEC team, then it is a completely different story. See, with the NFL draft kicking in, you gonna see a lot of your favorite QBs leaving. Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders, etc. All gone. This leaves a massive opening in the QB depth of multiple teams. Georgia is one of them.

With Carson Beck pretty much out of the final playoff run because of his injury, Kirby Smart has to rely on Gunner Stockton to get things done (which will not be an easy task). After the Dawgs vs Longhorns game, you can say Gunner is a good pick for QB1, but if you compare with the competition (like Arch Manning at Texas and Bryce Underwood at Michigan), Gunner just ain’t on the same level.

So, this could be a great landing spot for Milroe. But then again, we haven’t heard anything solid regarding his transfer. But let’s just assume Milroe does hit the portal. Who should Kalen DeBoer have on his radar to replace his QB1?

Kalen DeBoer’s next quarterback

Saying that DeBoer cannot develop a QB would be a lie. We have seen the greatness he managed to achieve with Michael Penix Jr. Yeah, the same just couldn’t work with Milroe, and there are reasons for it. OC Ryan Grubb or OC Kirby Moore still had the best pairing with DeBoer. 12-2 massive record against top 25 teams during his stint with Fresno State, and the Huskies clearly point towards that.

Regardless of the mass exodus at the portal, DeBoer should find a new QB with ease. From the top of our head, some great picks would be Conner Weigman from the Aggies. Weigman’s luck this year was bad. Not only did the Aggies lose to Notre Dame, but they also lost their QB1 to an AC joint injury. This pretty much cut him out for the entire season.

See, DeBoer’s offense has massive weapons. Ryan Williams is an amazing player. While Milroe and his combination still left much to be desired, DeBoer could fix that by bringing in Weigman. Yeah, Bama is losing out on some good WRs to the portal as well, but you can blame that on OC and his random decision, which didn’t allow players like Kendrick Law and Kobe Prentice to have much impact. 

Losing Milroe will hurt. Keeping every flaw aside, this guy is still an amazing quarterback when it comes to leading his team. Those LSU, Mercer, Mizzou, and Georgia games prove so, but then again, the system needs some change. A team cannot always sink and swim around their quarterback, right?