Alabama’s Jalen Milroe was one of the most polarizing figures in college football last season, maybe no more so than within his own fanbase. The naysayers were loud after his performance against Texas in his third career start. He was benched against South Florida, but started Alabama’s last 11 games and led the Crimson Tide to an SEC Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff, where they came up short in overtime against Michigan at the Rose Bowl.

Even after a season where he finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, some vocal members of the fanbase still questioned whether Milroe was a good enough passer to lead the team and if the Crimson Tide would be better off if the reigns were handed to Ty Simpson, instead.

If that noise has affected Milroe, he’s never shown it. He was one of the main leaders who rallied the team in the uncertain hours following Nick Saban’s retirement, and never flirted with the Transfer Portal despite what would have been a myriad of suitors lining up to cut seven-figure NIL checks.

Hiring Kalen DeBoer was exciting for a variety of reasons, maybe none more so than what he might be able to do with Milroe. Not just helping him develop as a passer, but tailoring an offense around the strengths of arguably the most athletic quarterback in college football. The sins of Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees last season was trying to force Milroe to be something that he isn’t; trying to fit a round peg in a square hole and run the Tua/Mac/Bryce offense with a much different QB. Alabama’s offense began flourishing last year when the calls started favoring what Milroe did best.

After the first three games of 2024, it’s obvious to everyone outside of a very vocal minority that Milroe has grown as a passer, and become possibly even more dynamic as a runner with the aid of an improved offensive line that finally got to full strength for the Tide’s road tilt in Madison.