Alabama has some flaws to be assessed after putting up a disappointing show in the 2024 season. This was the first time since 2007 – Nick Saban’s first year as coach – that the Crimson Tide recorded less than 10 wins. Fingers were pointed at head coach Kalen DeBoer and QB Jalen Milroe. But Milroe has different problems to be concerned with now that he’s off to the NFL draft. The need of the hour is DeBoer fixing the gaps left by his departure. He cannot afford to have his quarterback perform the way Milroe did; who can DeBoer look at to fill this role this season?

Milroe delivered a staccato performance last year, far from what he is truly capable of. His mistakes were reflected quite a bit in the team’s losses against Oklahoma and Michigan. During the season’s initial games, it looked like Milroe was cruising through. He recorded 11 passing touchdowns and averaged more than 300 yards of offense in the first six games. Then, he threw six interceptions in the conference’s first four games. The interceptions kept coming since then, and he finished his college career with 11 of them. His chances at the NFL draft have weakened, as USA Today calls him a “boom or bust candidate” in the draft.

Kalen DeBoer also, despite criticism, did not back down from supporting his quarterback till the very end. But now, Milroe’s future is his own to deal with. DeBoer needs to approach Bama’s quarterback situation in a serious manner. Clint Lamb of the Cover Crimson show on YouTube suggests he look at Ty Simpson. Lamb highlights a unique quality of his that sets him apart from Milroe. He said in a March 13 video, “I actually think that Ty Simpson will be a better dual-threat running quarterback than Jalen Milroe,” Lamb said. With Milroe, he implies that he was “the true definition” of a dual-threat QB occasionally, like against Georgia. “The deep ball was there, the rushing ability was there.” According to Lamb, what Milroe lacked was consistency.

“[N]ot only do I think that (Simpson) brings that element – not to the extent that Jalen Milroe did – but he brings that element. I think he’s gonna be able to do the other side of it too: where he’s got a deep ball too […] It’s his ability to consistently be a threat with his arm,” Lamb highlighted. He says that it is imperative to consider this fact as a defense, which will lead him and Alabama to success consistently.

Ty Simpson is a favorite for the position, sure. But he’s not a sure-fire pick yet. According to Bama Hammer, he will be fighting for the position with Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. The backup QB only has 50 passes to his name so far. But make no mistake, he is sure to add some power to Crimson Tide football in the future. Mack came in from Washington, having trained under Ryan Grubb. Russell, on the other hand, is Alabama’s highest-rated recruit in program history. Like Bama Hammer comments, the Crimson Tide’s QB room is “inexperienced,” but it has immense potential in its candidates. The driving force for DeBoer now should be that he doesn’t repeat the mistakes he made with Jalen Milroe.

A bad year for both Milroe and Kalen DeBoer

Jalen Milroe’s final year at Alabama is not the kind that an NFL draft hopeful would hope for. In 2023, after being benched by Saban, he led the team gallantly with 11 consecutive wins. He recorded 65.8% of completed passing attempts and 23 passing touchdowns. His 2023 performance got him the QB role in 2024 under Kalen DeBoer’s debut year as coach. But sadly, the new coach couldn’t help improve his game.

The biggest issue with Milroe was his inability to read defenses. It was particularly highlighted in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oklahoma 24-3, where Milroe had a measly 7 yards in 15 rushing attempts. In the tough loss against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, he took a sack in the initial phase of the game. He then threw an interception and two fumbles to top it off. While fans and experts analyzed his flaws, they also noted that DeBoer refused to bench him.

AL.com‘s Joseph Goodman believed DeBoer should have benched him during the Oklahoma game, but DeBoer didn’t. After losing the Michigan bowl game, DeBoer said, “I saw the fight in his eyes. And as long as I see that, I want to hang in there with the guys that this program means a lot to.” DeBoer found great support in Milroe after transitioning into Alabama’s post-Saban era. Having one’s back for something like that is key, but DeBoer should have put the bigger picture of the program’s performance first, too.

Jalen Milroe’s tough final year has significantly hampered his potential at the NFL draft. DeBoer is in an equally troublesome space, as he needs to deliver improvement after the failure of his debut year. Will DeBoer take the plunge with a more dependable Ty Simpson? Or will he prefer his already-established rapport with Mack and the numbers of Keelon Russell?