Alabama QBs in 2024

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Jalen Milroe is the greatest QB to ever play the sport and anyone who says otherwise is just a hater. He will win the Maxwell and the Heisman, because he is that good he will fix everything in a few months. He will be drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft as the #1 overall player and win at least 3 super bowls including being a pro-bowl player his rookie season. This is all blindingly obvious to anyone who doesn’t hate the kid.

There, I’ve said what you want. Random sunshine pumper cherry picks and nonsensical filler have shown me the light.

Blue Font!

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think the guy has been put on a vacation to evaluate some things and also allow this thread to get back on course, and that is the QB situation for 2024. There's nothing wrong with looking back into 2023 to talk about 2024. But this living in a season that is now over is not the spirit of this thread.

 

[AWRTR]

I hear you and don't disagree in general, but I would like to understand why Rees did not run the ball more - especially wide. They were playing 2 deep safeties as part of their plan to stop MIlroe, but this helps the running game immensely. Alabama was having great success in the running game, in fact, Michigan never stopped it. Haynes, Alabama's most talented runner, was especially having success, though Jase was doing a great job also. Between them and Miller's 1 carry they ran the ball 19 times for 129 yards, that is a 6.8 clip. And it was good consistent running, not 3 or 4 big plays. Here are the running plays by the RBs: Jase, Haynes, Miller. All listed are by Jase except as noted "H" and "M". 10 of the 19 were 5 yards or more, 6 more were 3 or 4 yards. The carries are grouped by drives.

6
34
TD

2 unsuccessful drives where only 1 RW carry for RBs

3
-2

5
FG before half

Second half

9 H
11 H
9
7

3
3

8 H
3 H
3
TD

4
17
11 M
FG

OT
0
-5

Bama was killing them on the ground, especially when mixing in some MIlroe runs.

Great point! I’m a proponent of run it until they stop it. I was speaking more about the season as a whole, but for the Michigan game I think you are on to something.

 

[CrimsonTitles]

I hear you and don't disagree in general, but I would like to understand why Rees did not run the ball more - especially wide. They were playing 2 deep safeties as part of their plan to stop MIlroe, but this helps the running game immensely. Alabama was having great success in the running game, in fact, Michigan never stopped it. Haynes, Alabama's most talented runner, was especially having success, though Jase was doing a great job also. Between them and Miller's 1 carry they ran the ball 19 times for 129 yards, that is a 6.8 clip. And it was good consistent running, not 3 or 4 big plays. Here are the running plays by the RBs: Jase, Haynes, Miller. All listed are by Jase except as noted "H" and "M". 10 of the 19 were 5 yards or more, 6 more were 3 or 4 yards. The carries are grouped by drives.

6
34
TD

2 unsuccessful drives where only 1 RW carry for RBs

3
-2

5
FG before half

Second half

9 H
11 H
9
7

3
3

8 H
3 H
3
TD

4
17
11 M
FG

OT
0
-5

Bama was killing them on the ground, especially when mixing in some MIlroe runs.

Definitely agree, I would like to have seen us run it a whole lot more, and I think Haynes should have gotten at least 10 touches That said, I'm still a huge Tommy Rees fan. He's still very green at being an OC. He'll get it figured out. I recall saying some of the same things about Sark needing to run the ball more when he took over for Kiffin in the NC in Hurts' first season, probably one of the reasons he went to ATL. To his credit, he came back a few years later and we never said anything like that about him again.

 

[CrimSonami]

Definitely agree, I would like to have seen us run it a whole lot more, and I think Haynes should have gotten at least 10 touches That said, I'm still a huge Tommy Rees fan. He's still very green at being an OC. He'll get it figured out. I recall saying some of the same things about Sark needing to run the ball more when he took over for Kiffin in the NC in Hurts' first season, probably one of the reasons he went to ATL. To his credit, he came back the next year and we never said anything like that about him again.

Jam and his Jacobs flare with Justice and his Ingram flare will give us more dynamic options out of the backfield next year. I don't know who'll be RB1 or RB2 on the depth chart, but I see them as 1a & 1b which would bode well for whoever ends up as QB1.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Great point! I’m a proponent of run it until they stop it. I was speaking more about the season as a whole, but for the Michigan game I think you are on to something.

I’m a proponent of keeping the defense guessing and staying balanced. But I’m also a fan of taking wha the defense gives us. And I am a fan of running it until they stop it. And I am a fan of taking the top off the secondary. And I am a fan of a quick, accurate passing game. And this is also probably why I have never been and will never be a coach, now that I think about it….😉

 

[Con]

I’m a proponent of keeping the defense guessing and staying balanced. But I’m also a fan of taking wha the defense gives us. And I am a fan of running it until they stop it. And I am a fan of taking the top off the secondary. And I am a fan of a quick, accurate passing game. And this is also probably why I have never been and will never be a coach, now that I think about it….😉

So I guess you were a big fan of the 2020 offense?

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

The Michigan offense on display last night is what we should aspire to: Punishing running, play action off the ground game, occasional deep shots and quarterback keepers sprinkled in.

I still love the 2020 factoid: that as explosive as we were that year -- arguably the most prolific offense in NCAA history -- we ran it more than we threw.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The Michigan offense on display last night is what we should aspire to: Punishing running, play action off the ground game, occasional deep shots and quarterback keepers sprinkled in.

I still love the 2020 factoid: that as explosive as we were that year -- arguably the most prolific offense in NCAA history -- we ran it more than we threw.

That's what this year's offense was supposed to be like and I think it still can be next season. Our OL needs to get more consistent in their play and our QB's need to be able to audible out of bad plays and into good plays, and make the right reads once the ball is snapped. We have the big boys up front to be a very good power running offense. However, we still need to be able to take the top off the defense and get chunk plays in the passing game.

 

[teamplayer]

I’m a proponent of keeping the defense guessing and staying balanced. But I’m also a fan of taking wha the defense gives us. And I am a fan of running it until they stop it. And I am a fan of taking the top off the secondary. And I am a fan of a quick, accurate passing game. And this is also probably why I have never been and will never be a coach, now that I think about it….😉

Exactly! hahahaha I want to be good at all facets of the offensive game plan; however, I would like to be able to run it down a team's throat in the fourth quarter when we are ahead by a touchdown and need to finish the game. The more things that we do well, the more difficult it becomes to stop our offense, but controlling the line of scrimmage makes everything much easier.

 

[BamaInBham]

Great point! I’m a proponent of run it until they stop it. I was speaking more about the season as a whole, but for the Michigan game I think you are on to something.

The pity is that that was Rees' reputation at ND - he didn't mind boring if it was working. I love that attitude. He's probably done that this year at Alabama but he did not do it in this game. He may have had a legitimate reason or just didn't realize he wasn't doing it or thought that a sequence was ripe for a chunk play or a chance to get JM some confidence, etc...

I hesitate to criticize a play caller because there are many things to consider, many of which we "laymen" are not aware, but in hindsight, it did seem like we could have had more success running more. But in the end, IMO, Mich looked like the better team that day, even though Bama had the lead past the 3 min mark. Still, "just missing" is tough to swallow, especially vs someone like JH.

 

[bamajas]

That's what this year's offense was supposed to be like and I think it still can be next season. Our OL needs to get more consistent in their play and our QB's need to be able to audible out of bad plays and into good plays, and make the right reads once the ball is snapped. We have the big boys up front to be a very good power running offense. However, we still need to be able to take the top off the defense and get chunk plays in the passing game.

Right. Even if the "structure" works that way, it will lead to explosive plays (more than at any other school with a similar style) simply because of the athleticism we have at every position. And it will be more dependable instead of having to keep your top 1-2 WRs healthy to run it

 

[AlexanderFan]

The pity

The pity is that that was Rees' reputation at ND - he didn't mind boring if it was working. I love that attitude. He's probably done that this year at Alabama but he did not do it in this game. He may have had a legitimate reason or just didn't realize he wasn't doing it or thought that a sequence was ripe for a chunk play or a chance to get JM some confidence, etc...

I hesitate to criticize a play caller because there are many things to consider, many of which we "laymen" are not aware, but in hindsight, it did seem like we could have had more success running more. But in the end, IMO, Mich looked like the better team that day, even though Bama had the lead past the 3 min mark. Still, "just missing" is tough to swallow, especially vs someone like JH.

Some of the events that kept us from running the ball more were self inflicted wounds like the snaps. Catching on to the keys for the running plays as well, we didn’t have the ability to audible or option on those plays either.

it would be an interesting question to ask him for sure.

 

[TexasBama]

Milroe is the Vegas favorite to win the Heisman next year.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Milroe is the Vegas favorite to win the Heisman next year.

This is simply another way of saying “Milroe is expected to start as QB for a team that is expected to be in the running for the national title next year”. Nothing more. You can tell by the rest of that “Heisman favorite” list. Basically just QBs starting for good teams. It tells us basically nothing.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

This is simply another way of saying “Milroe is expected to start as QB for a team that is expected to be in the running for the national title next year”. Nothing more. You can tell by the rest of that “Heisman favorite” list. Basically just QBs starting for good teams. It tells us basically nothing.

Yes. And the fact that Milroe finished 6th in the voting and the 5 players ahead of him are going to the NFL would pretty much make him the default favorite to win it next season.

 

[Bill from NYC]

Next season’s schedule is too difficult to navigate with a stripped-down offense with open receivers waving their arms in vain. Michigan wrote the book on how to stop 2023 JM and you know Kirby will do the same thing in September 2024 but with better athletes. Hope JM takes the UM loss as a wake-up call and commits to improving his mental game. I also hope Saban commits to a true competition for QB1 in spring and fall camp. Can’t imagine Simpson would be staying on if there wasn’t going to be one.

The question many of us have is can JM improve at reading defenses, making quick decisions and hitting short and medium-range passes. I’m hoping he can, because with his physical gifts he’d be darn near unstoppable.

The above is a perfect synopsis imo. There is a HUGE need for full competition at the QB position next season.
As far as Milroe improving his reads, it won't be easy. The upcoming season will be his FOURTH year in Tuscaloosa. Our previous 4 starters were great in their first season as the starter.
Milroe has all the talent in the world but he takes far too long to make decisions. If he has all day to throw all of the time he would be the #1 pick in the draft, but of course no QB has this (other than perhaps Milroe at the end of the Iron Bowl). We all remember.....the play after which he was demanding the "MF Heismann."

I will support Milroe as much as I supported every QB who ever wore crimson and white. Overall he seems like a wonderful, religious kid and I love that. Now, would I have been upset if he declared for the draft? No, but this is jmo. I come to this site for the great articles and discussions, not to make enemies or all knowing proclaimations.

ROLL TIDE 4EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Moro Creek]

Milroe has been here for (I guess) three years. One more spring may make him a more complete QB, but I have real reservations about that.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Milroe has been here for (I guess) three years. One more spring may make him a more complete QB, but I have real reservations about that.

As do I.......I hope he does well, but there really does need to be a QB competition and not just hand it over to the incumbent. I think it's possible one of the QBs on the roster gives him a run and could possibly beat him out, if loyalty to seniority doesnt come into play

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

As do I.......I hope he does well, but there really does need to be a QB competition and not just hand it over to the incumbent. I think it's possible one of the QBs on the roster gives him a run and could possibly beat him out, if loyalty to seniority doesnt come into play

I just can't imagine any offensive coordinator would decide on a quarterback who can't run his full playbook unless someone overrides his decision. That is, if all the rumors floating around that Reese had to simplify the offense for Milroe.