Alabama Crimson Tide fans entered the 2024 college football season with high hopes for their team. The Crimson Tide had become a powerhouse under the leadership of Nick Saban, who served as head coach from 2007 to 2023.
Following Saban’s retirement, Kalen DeBoer took over as Alabama’s head coach, taking the team to a 9-4 record in his first season.
Alabama starting quarterback Jalen Milroe was the subject of much criticism during the 2024 season. Fans and analysts had much to say about Milroe’s inconsistent performances. With the NFL Draft coming up, college football analyst Paul Finebaum did not hold back his thoughts on Milroe’s chances in the draft.
Paul Finebaum Left ‘Underwhelmed’ by Jalen Milroe’s Performance in the 2024 CFB Season
Milroe led the team’s offense through the 2024 season. The senior passed for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also performed phenomenally on the ground, rushing for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns. His performance in the season earned him the No. 5 spot in ESPN’s quarterback ranking for the upcoming NFL Draft.
SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum was not too impressed with Milroe’s performance in the 2024 season and expressed his disappointment bluntly.
“I couldn’t have been more underwhelmed by what we saw this year from him,” Finebaum said on the “Paul Finebaum Show.”
Finebaum has made similar statements in the past and has highlighted the incompatibility between Milroe’s style and DeBoer’s system.
According to Finebaum, DeBoer’s system requires a quarterback to move like a pocket passer, which creates friction with a quarterback like Milroe, who is a runner. Though many still consider Milroe a strong quarterback, Finebaum has doubts about his future in the NFL.
‘I would not draft Jalen Milroe’ SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum Drops Hot Take on Former Alabama QB
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper ranked Milroe as the No. 4 quarterback in this year’s class behind Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. However, Finebaum has doubts about Milroe’s chances as a draft prospect. He shared his thoughts on the matter on his show.
“I would not draft Jalen Milroe with an expensive pick,” Finebaum said. “I thought he was borderline terrible at times last year. For all the good that he did, he threw it away toward the end.”
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Finebaum remains unconvinced of Milroe’s chances of transitioning well into the NFL. He believes that had Milroe played for any school other than Alabama, he would not have received as much hype.
Though Finebaum admits that Milroe will likely be a first-round pick due to the high demand for strong quarterbacks in the NFL, he doesn’t believe Milroe should be selected early.
“I think he will,” Finebaum said. “I don’t think he should overall. But I’ve been told there will be that one coach who believes that he can completely make Milroe into Anthony Richardson or someone else. I agree with your skepticism. But I’ve seen the NFL do some utterly ridiculous things.”
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