As the winds of change blow through Alabama’s rich football program, Jalen Milroe stands strong as the face of a new era under Coach Kalen DeBoer. The apparent Tiger Woods of college football, DeBoer has already taken full charge of Alabama’s offense and recruitment and is already on his way to transforming the team.

While carrying Nick Saban’s legacy and reputation on his shoulder, DeBoer surely has been doing an amazing job and Josh Pate from Late Kick with Josh Pate has agreed to it on his live show. Let’s dive into this and find out what he said about Milroe, DeBoer, and Saban.

Milroe’s potential under Kalen DeBoer

On 4th July, Josh Pate, on his show, highlighted the significant potential for Jalen Milroe under DeBoer’s guidance. Pate said, “Jalen Milroe was almost like a Heisman finalist type guy last year. He’s right on the precipice. What happens if this new coaching staff actually does take his game to the next level?” Milroe, known for his strong arm and dynamic athleticism, has shown glimpses of greatness. Pate drew parallels between Milroe and Michael Penix Jr., who thrived under DeBoer’s coaching at Washington. “Kalen DeBoer turned that guy into like a full-on assault weapon through the air,” Pate remarked, emphasizing the transformative impact DeBoer could have on Milroe.

Even on The Next Round, Joel Klatt gave his opinion regarding DeBoer. “Kalen is competitively proficient. This guy wins at an insanely high level everywhere,” Klatt mentioned while highlighting the Alabama coach’s ability to bring out the best in struggling teams. The best example of this is Sioux Falls winning 3 national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009 under DeBoer. In the same interview, Klatt went further in-depth regarding Alabama’s offense. “Alabama has the 2 best offensive lines in the country,” he mentioned.

This connects back to the same thing that Pate mentioned in his show. “Whatever his maximum ability is this year as a passer though, I think it’s reasonable to expect it from DeBoer and his staff because they’ve earned that benefit of the doubt,” he commented solidifying the fact that almost everyone out there knows DeBoer can get Alabama the same amount of respect which Nick Saban got.

Furthermore, Milroe’s decision to pick DeBoer over Saban is quite understandable. The move signals Milroe’s belief in DeBoer’s ability to refine his game and elevate his performance. As Pate pointed out, “Well, what happens if all of a sudden you turn on maybe October, November, and you’re looking at Jaylen Milroe and go, ‘Whoa, dude, this dude’s way different caliber passer than he was last year.‘” However, what do the stats say? Is Milroe-DeBoer really a better pairing than Milroe-Saban?

Milroe-DeBoer vs Milroe-Saban

Under Nick Saban, Jalen Milroe showed promise but also struggled with consistency. During the 2023 season, Milroe completed 55.6% of his passes for 1,200 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. His rushing ability was a bright spot, with 320 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Saban’s system, while successful, often prioritized a balanced attack that didn’t fully utilize Milroe’s dual-threat capabilities.

Since transitioning to Kalen DeBoer’s system, Milroe’s performance has seen marked improvement. In spring practices, he displayed enhanced accuracy and decision-making, completing over 70% of his passes in scrimmages and showing better pocket presence. DeBoer’s offense, which emphasizes quick reads and dynamic play-calling, has allowed Milroe to use his athleticism more effectively while developing his passing skills.

Milroe highlighted the difference in coaching styles in an interview with Saturday Down South. “At practice, I threw a really good ball. I was looking at the sideline to get the next play, the next signal and Coach DeBoer came up to me and was like ‘Hey what happened’, and I was like what do you mean what happened?… Coach I was worried about the next play and he was like ‘I want you to celebrate, I want you to be excited, that was a really good pass,’” Milroe mentioned, highlighting the fact that he was not used to getting such a cool treatment.

This small incident also links back to a moment Milroe and Saban shared during the 2023 Iron Bowl. “I get off the field to head off, and you know, I’m trying to find coach, he was like, ‘So, what was that?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ I mean, I just executed the play, and so, like he had a like stern face, as red as it can be, looking at me, like staring in my soul, I’m thinking, I got in trouble,” Milroe recalled during his interview with Next Up with Adam Breneman. Saban was known to be very detail-oriented and strict on the field, not that this was a bad thing as he did take Alabama to an amazing height. “As a quarterback, you know he’s an offensive mind, so I’m able to grow each and every day with him,” Milroe further stated during the interview. DeBoer’s focus on being more offensive-oriented and relaxed with his players goes well with Milroe’s abilities.

Bama fans definitely cannot wait to see what more tricks DeBoer pulls out for the team, but whatever it might end up being, one thing is for sure; Crimson Tide will become an offensive powerhouse.