BREAKING Alabama QB Jalen Milroe to return for senior season

[RollTide_HTTR]

But watching the all-22 and there are guys in the mid-range a lot and he just doesn't pull the trigger for some reason.

Where do you get the all 22 of Alabama games?

 

[gtgilbert]

Where do you get the all 22 of Alabama games?

I haven't seen any full games out there this year, but some of the youtube channels will have several plays from some games,

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I haven't seen any full games out there this year, but some of the youtube channels will have several plays from some games,

I wish the all 22 was more readily available like it is for the NFL (for a cost lol)

 

[AlexanderFan]

I agree with a lot of what you said. I would mention that this is JM's first season as a starting QB. If you compare JM's stats with JH's stats at Bama (not OK), JM is arguably more accurate (fewer INTs, higher completion percentage, etc.). Anyhow, JM is not a polished, NFL-ready QB and it's absolutory valid to objectively evaluate JM based on his current strengths and weaknesses.

My larger point is that some folks (others, not you) are attempting to sound "objective" in order to support their underlying implication that JM is not talented enough to start at QB for Alabama. They don't say that directly, but it's clear that's their message. For instant, they equate JM's talent profile/ceiling to Blake Sims. That's not an objective observation. Blake Sims, who was recruited as a half-back, was never projected to play QB in the NFL, while JM has been projected to eventually play QB in the NFL since high-school. See 257 Recruiting Profile ("Possesses long-term NFL Draft potential, possibly to the top half of the draft.").

As another example, the below posters suggest that JM is too old to correct his "long throwing motion." JM does not have a "long throwing motion." It's pretty evident from the following video. BY vs JM Throwing Motion. JM's mechanical issues stem from relying on arm strength, rather than proper mechanics (e.g., body rotation), to generate velocity. See, e.g., Article ("[JM] relie on elite arm strength when throwing. ... His feet [a]re nearly next to each other when passing, thus creating spotty results.").

View attachment 39295

Let's see, we will start with Hurts threw the ball away. Hurts didn't take up to 15 yard sacks, he rolled right, if he didn't like it, he threw the ball away. He did that a lot, and it was infuriating to a lot of us here at TideFans. That is a partial reason for the differences in accuracy numbers.

Second, you're showing old practice video. Simpson has been here two years and he wears 15, so that video is a couple years old. Watch actual game footage. The top tip of the ball is almost always below the top of the 4. It dips down, then back up and forward, taking longer to get released. As I've said, this probably helps on the deep ball which he excels at, but throwing over the middle or into windows this extra time (you can throw his indecision in there as well) has caused the ball to be late and/or behind the receivers.

Finally, regarding your constant need to insert his draft potential, Ryan Leaf was the greatest can't miss NFL prospect of all time, right along with Trev Alberts, Tony Mandarich, Charles Rogers, one of the Mike Williams, and the list goes on and on and on. Being a potential top 15 NFL pick has helped a player win exactly zero college football games.

 

[landonew]

This point is interesting to discuss. I've watched the side-by-side a couple of times and see the point that at least in that video, it's not really the length of the motion, but the motion is still not great. BY's (and also TM's) release point is pretty high at the arc of the arm, where JMs does appear to be later, although it's hard to see. To your point, in HS his arm was always strong enough to make the throws, but as the game gets faster, the mechanics become more important. We've also seen where the NFL scouts say the ball needs to come out faster, so whether that's the length of the motion or some other factor, he needs to work on it. IMHO, I think the primary driver in the ball not coming out fast enough is that he doesn't start to pull the trigger quick enough. There was a lot of early season video of JM and TS on the field throwing the same routes to different sides at the same time, and in almost all of them, JM started to throw later - it was almost like he had to see the WR make the break, instead of throwing on timing, so JMs passes were always later arriving to the WR than TS. I think this is also a factor of the point above, where JM doesn't get the ball out to open guys. By the time he's thinking throw, sometimes the window is closing

I want to qualify that I am not a QB coach and I do not have independent expertise on this topic. JM is obviously one of my favorite players, and I've watched a lot of tape with other's analyzing him. Here are my takeaways:

JM's mechanics during practice (and at times during games) "often" look quite good (not always, but often). There are subtle things to improve on, but overall, his mechanics are decent when he's focusing on them. A good example of this is his TD pass to Burton in the SECCG. See first video (below). Another example would be 4th and 31 against Auburn.

Where JM's mechanics tend to break down are in-game scenarios where his lower body is out of position. He throws with either his feet not completely under him or with his feet too close together. Both situations may be referred to as "throwing off his back foot" or "short arming," and it occurs most often on intermediate out patterns. A good example of this is the 4th down throw to Bond at the end of the second half in the SECCG. See second video (below). This ball should have been thrown 10 yds further up field, and closer to the boundary, with a bit of air under it so the receiver could adjust and run under it to catch the ball in stride right before crossing the boundary. JM also does this on deep balls from time-to-time. A good example is the TD he threw against Middle Tennessee. See Third Video (below). You can see how he doesn't fully rotate through that throw. It looks like he's throwing off his back foot and he appears to release the ball to early (his follow-through is short almost as though he's not fully releasing the ball). While this pass happens to be right on the money, you would ideally have had more air under the ball, and thrown the ball slightly earlier, so that the would have an opportunity to adjust had the accuracy been poorer.

 

[The Ols]

I’ve never seen one poster concentrate on just one string…so adamantly too…interesting.

 

[landonew]

Last point for now, is that AlexanderFan isn't wrong about it being hard to correct mechanics. By the time they are in college, these guys will have hundreds of thousands or even millions of reps doing it wrong, and that is a lot of muscle memory to break to correct their mechanics. it's not impossible, but it is hard. I've had late middle school (so not as far along as JM) guys take almost a full year, doing 1500-2000 reps a week outside of practices (throwing and catching in lacrosse isn't going to wear out an arm like football or baseball) still revert back to some bad mechanics once we go live reps because the muscle memory is so ingrained. It seems the QB mechanics in FB have an even more narrow path to follow, so I can see that being a pretty difficult process to break old habits and instill new ones.

I wanted to also address this, because I while I tend to agree (in general) that mechanics are harder to correct as players have more reps behind them, I don't believe JM's mechanical issues will be that difficult to address over-time with focused offseason training. The reason for this is because I think this is really more about JM being disciplined with his footwork in the pocket to ensure that his lower body is in position to shift his weight and rotate through the throw properly. Again, I want to qualify all of this by saying, I am not a QB coach or expert in this field.

To me, JM's main opportunity for improvement is reading the defense (both pre-snap and post-snap). My impression (again, I'm not an expert) is that QBs don't "see" wide open receivers the way we do on TV with multiple camera angles, etc. Instead, QBs must learn to read the defense (both pre and post snap) so that they can anticipate which receivers will be open as their routes develop. Aptitudes for reading QBs vary, but I feel this is something that JM has already shown meaningful improvement on as he's received more in-game reps and first-team practice reps. Time will tell and everyone has their own opinions on this topic.

 

[landonew]

Second, you're showing old practice video. Simpson has been here two years and he wears 15, so that video is a couple years old. Watch actual game footage. The top tip of the ball is almost always below the top of the 4. It dips down, then back up and forward, taking longer to get released. As I've said, this probably helps on the deep ball which he excels at, but throwing over the middle or into windows this extra time (you can throw his indecision in there as well) has caused the ball to be late and/or behind the receivers.

Please see my above-post. Maybe you could post some footage of JM with a long throwing motion or long release?

 

[B1GTide]

I think that Milroe's reliance on his strong arm has him throwing off platform more than he should. He really needs to learn to step into passes. When you step into a pass, your accuracy goes way up.

 

[landonew]

I think that Milroe's reliance on his strong arm has him throwing off platform more than he should. He really needs to learn to step into passes. When you step into a pass, your accuracy goes way up.

Agreed. Good news for Tidefans is that JM at least appears to have begun working on this last offseason. Below, I've block-copied (purple text) an assessment comparing JM's mechanics last season with JM's mechanics during 2023 Spring game. Hopefully he can continue to make progress on that and enter the 2024 season as a more consistent and accurate passer.

"At first, I did a double-take when watching Milroe fill in for QB Bryce Young at Alabama last season. He looked like the second coming of Browns QB Deshaun Watson. They have similar size — Milroe is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds while Watson is 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds — and each has elite arm strength and running ability. Both also wear No. 4.

In my initial assessment of Milroe, however, I tagged him with a fifth-round grade. It's clear he has a dynamic vibe and physical tools, but he was still too raw. On 2022 film, his throws were erratic and defenders disrupted nine of his passes in eight games. His throwing mechanics were problematic, too, especially his footwork.

As a freshman, Milroe — who squatted over 500 pounds then — relied on elite arm strength when throwing. But he opened his hips and his right leg swung forward awkwardly as he threw the ball. His feet were nearly next to each other when passing, thus creating spotty results.

[text removed]​

During Alabama's spring game, Milroe exhibited improved passing skills. Despite his inconsistencies in passing early in the game, Milroe showed better throwing mechanics overall. He threw with his feet farther apart (a wider base) while driving the ball off his back foot more than before.

The result was an increase in downfield accuracy. The completions began popping.

[text removed]

Undoubtedly, Milroe has work to do before I arrive at his final grade. He has the advantage of playing at a school that has had a recent run of NFL starting QBs in Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones and Young."

https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...jalen_milroe_bears_watching/s1_13132_39095325

 

[Ledsteplin]

Speaking of Jalen, he's been hugely impressed by some kid named Julian Sayin at the Rose Bowl practices.

 

[landonew]

I’ve never seen one poster concentrate on just one string…so adamantly too…interesting.

He’s the future. I have read tidefans for years. JM is why I joined. I feel like he deserves a voice.

 

[The Ols]

He’s the future. I have read tidefans for years. JM is why I joined. I feel like he deserves a voice.

How’d you become a Bama fan?

 

[The Ols]

He’s the future. I have read tidefans for years. JM is why I joined. I feel like he deserves a voice.

Unless you’re related or his agent…that’s a little
Cocoa Puffs…

 

[CajunCrimson]

He’s the future. I have read tidefans for years. JM is why I joined. I feel like he deserves a voice.

Just please keep it under control. No one wants to hear one poster dominate a thread with the same tired take over and over.
It can be a thread-killer.

 

[Bill from NYC]

some of the same concerns, yes, but it's a magnitude thing. I won't go find it, but at the start of this season, I said that Hurts as a true freshman taking his first snaps, had better accuracy and mechanics than Milroe (who was starting his third season). Even with some improvement from Milroe this season, I think that's still the case. At the end of his 3rd season, Hurts was several orders of magnitude more accurate and more mechanically sound than Milroe now, even if Hurts didn't have prototypical NFL accuracy. Can Milroe continue to improve and close some of the gap to where Hurts was when he went to the NFL? probably/possibly/maybe close some, but it's a long way to go.

Even the NFL eval on him says as much. He'd be the best running QB in the NFL day one, but pretty much all the passing related stuff in that eval points to him needing to continue to improve. I really hope he can, as he appears to be willing to put in the work and it'd be a great story.

Here's the risk and it's the biggest skill gap Milroe has (even more than the mechanics and accuracy). In Hurts second season as a starter, he wasn't really making as much progress as needed on reading the field and getting the ball where it needed to go. We had a host of very talented WRs, TEs and RBs who were also putting in the work, executing plays correctly, and were getting open often or should have gotten the ball on a read, but were not getting the ball b/c Hurts would run instead of passing to them or handing off. It almost became a revolt. Watch some of our skill guys now, and some of that same body language is starting to show. Guys are OPEN, A LOT, and the ball isn't coming out, and it's not that Milroe doesn't have time, he's just not seeing it for whatever reason.

Thanks for an excellent, very informative post.

I am a big fan of JM, but he does need work. I'm glad that he is coming back but I like Simpson too and I really hope that he doesn't transfer out. It isn't hard for a running QB to get hurt and we need depth.

At this point, I think that it is fairly obvious that what Milroe is best at is running. He is a GREAT runner. I think that his biggest problem wrt passing is NOT his footwork. It's easier to get away with unorthodox footwork in college than in the NFL. My main concern is that he often he holds the ball too long. Fast decision making is what makes great quarterbacks. Players like Brady and Montana had nowhere near the talent of Milroe and look at what they accomplished.

If Milroe can gain 100 yards on the ground we will destroy Michigan. I do however think that he must complete some deep passes to keep the safeties away from the LOS in order to facilitate his room to run.

In summary, he seems like a great kid and it is good to have him back in 2024. I hope that he stays humble and eager to learn and there is nothing to indicate that he will not.

GO JALEN!!! ROLL TIDE 4EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CajunCrimson]

Thanks for an excellent, very informative post.

I am a big fan of JM, but he does need work. I'm glad that he is coming back but I like Simpson too and I really hope that he doesn't transfer out. It isn't hard for a running QB to get hurt and we need depth.

At this point, I think that it is fairly obvious that what Milroe is best at is running. He is a GREAT runner. I think that his biggest problem wrt passing is NOT his footwork. It's easier to get away with unorthodox footwork in college than in the NFL. My main concern is that he often he holds the ball too long. Fast decision making is what makes great quarterbacks. Players like Brady and Montana had nowhere near the talent of Milroe and look at what they accomplished.

If Milroe can gain 100 yards on the ground we will destroy Michigan. I do however think that he must complete some deep passes to keep the safeties away from the LOS in order to facilitate his room to run.

In summary, he seems like a great kid and it is good to have him back in 2024. I hope that he stays humble and eager to learn and there is nothing to indicate that he will not.

GO JALEN!!! ROLL TIDE 4EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

some of that is Saban chirping in his ear “no turnovers” It’s hard to trust your instincts when you are trying to not make mistakes.

Tua was the most instinctive QB I’ve ever seen.
Bryce was almost as good.

Jalen will get faster.

 

[Cruloc]

My biggest concern going into the Rose Bowl.....I'd expect Michigan to blitz Milroe early and often. Speed up his decision making. Exploit his weakness on his short throws by making him decide quickly. If he doesn't read what's coming consistently and make quick reads....it could be a huge issue.

Talking about his mechanics.....hopefully he fixes those over the next year. It's hard to fix mechanics when you've been throwing like that for years, but if he works he can. His mechanics are usually very bad. It's his feet and hips....his footwork isn't good at all a lot of the time.

 

[landonew]

How’d you become a Bama fan?

I graduated from Alabama in 2008.

 

[landonew]

Just please keep it under control. No one wants to hear one poster dominate a thread with the same tired take over and over.
It can be a thread-killer.

Gotcha. Man, I've really tried to post content, not just opinions. Anyhow, I'll leave you guys with this video. At 3:40 mark, they begin to evaluate JM's throwing motion. Just prior to that, they evaluate BY's motion.