Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe has had a mixed season, placing doubts on where he would potentially get picked if he declares for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Coming into this season, many expected Milroe to get picked inside the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, as the college football season progressed and Milroe and the Crimson Tide recorded losses against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Vanderbilt Commodores, Milroe’s draft stock took a hit, and he could have cost himself Round 1 capital.
In lieu of this, one former NFL running back wants Milroe to avoid declaring for the NFL Draft and return for another year of college.
Damien Harris Has No Doubts Regarding Jalen Milroe’s 2025 NFL Draft Question
A former two-time national champion running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Damien Harris appeared on CBS Sports’ college football coverage on Nov. 30, 2024, where the analysts discussed what Milroe should do after this college football season.
Answering the question, Harris was sure that the quarterback needed to spend another year, not necessarily with Alabama, in order to boost his draft stock.
“I think Jalen Milroe should absolutely return to college because I do not think he is NFL-ready,” Harris said. “With the regression we’ve seen with him throwing the football, I don’t think he’s ready to make those passes at the next level.”
"I think Jalen Milroe should ABSOLUTELY return to college."@DHx34 does not believe the Alabama QB is ready to make the jump to the next level, but should he return to the Crimson Tide? pic.twitter.com/QoZKuXhk5l
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 30, 2024
Harris Thinks Milroe’s Partnership With New Coach Didn’t Work
In January, former Alabama coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, prompting the exodus of many of the best talents out of Crimson Tide. Milroe wasn’t one of them, as he was assured of being the QB1. New coach Kalen DeBoer seemed to be the perfect coach to replace Saban and help Milroe develop further.
However, the partnership seems to have fallen flat on its face, according to Harris, who feels Milroe should enter the transfer portal.
“Should he return to Alabama? That, I’m not so sure about,” Harris said. “When we talk about pairing him with Kalen DeBoer — Kalen DeBoer is supposed to be a quarterback guru, he is supposed to help guys figure out how to read defenses, how to deliver the ball in spots when they need to be there at an efficient level — that has not happened. He has regressed, even. He can only throw the deep ball.”
“Even with a year under his belt, I know maybe it takes two years, but we’re talking about a different landscape. We’re talking about kids having different mentalities, we’re talking about kids thinking business first instead of team first.
“So, if I’m Jalen Milroe, and I’m thinking, ‘OK, I just got a head coach who was supposed to make me the best quarterback that I can be, and I have regressed and I have not played as well throughout the season,’ I might look at options to go somewhere else.”‘
Milroe still has some time to decide on how to take his career forward. For now, he’s looking ahead to secure victory in the Iron Bowl matchup against the Auburn Tigers at home on Nov. 30.