Alabama Names Jalen Milroe Starting QB For Season Opener

The post-Bryce Young era was inevitable for Alabama. Now, we know who will fill Young's shoes at quarterback for the Crimson Tide— redshirt sophomore Jalen Milroe, according to ESPN.

Milroe will start in No. 4 Alabama’s season opener against Middle Tennessee on Saturday. It will mark Milroe’s second career start— his first coming in the Crimson Tide’s 24-20 win against Texas A&M last October when Young sat out with an injury. Milroe passed for three touchdowns but committed three turnovers in that game.

Milroe, 20, beat out Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner and redshirt freshman Ty Simpson for the job. Milroe got the nod despite new Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees’ familiarity with Buchner. Rees served as Buchner’s play caller and position coach with the Fighting Irish until both joined the Crimson Tide this year.

On Monday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban elected not to name a starting quarterback. In fact, he didn’t even release a depth chart, forgoing the practice for the first time in his 17-year Alabama tenure.

For his career, Milroe is 34-of-60 for 338 passing yards, along with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also added 320 yards on the ground on 46 carries, averaging seven yards per carry.

Alabama sports the fourth-best offensive line in the country, per Pro Football Focus, and a preseason second-team All-SEC tailback in Jase McClellan, look for the Crimson Tide to lean on the run game much more than in recent seasons.

Saban could be embracing the smash-mouth brand of football that saw the program become the sport’s dominant force in the late 2000s and early 2010s.