How Jalen Milroe's dual-threat ability is impacting Kalen DeBoer's offensive system
Some might consider Jalen Milroe in the offense for Kalen DeBoer to be a conflicting pairing. However, to the quarterback’s new head coach at Alabama, it’s going to work just fine.
DeBoer addressed the fit of Milroe in his offense during an interview on ‘The Ryen Russillo Podcast’ last week. He thinks Milroe’s dual-threat ability is more to the approach’s benefit than to it’s detriment because of how dynamic he can be and how important the run game is to any offense.
“Our structure of our systems allows us to do all the things based on the personnel that come into our program,” explained DeBoer. “So, you know, right now, Jalen Milroe is a guy that can do both – run and pass. His ability to run the football and be a threat in that way makes our rushing attack even better.”
“We have great tailbacks. We need to make sure that we’re getting the ball distributed to all of our skill players. Receivers, tight ends as well,” said DeBoer. “Here in this league, the physicality that comes along and is critical to winning football games? I don’t care if it’s the SEC, I don’t care what level you’re at. It’s important.”
Again, while both great players in their own right, making the natural comparison from Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. to Milroe isn’t simple.
Penix threw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns on 65.4% completion in two years under DeBoer. As for Milroe, he’s coming off his first season as a starter for the Tide. In those appearances, he threw for 2,834 yards and 23 scores by completing 65.8% of his throws. That’s not to mention his legs where he also rushed for 531 yards and a dozen more scores.
Still, according to DeBoer, the offense will be the offense, regardless of the quarterback running it. It finished in the Top-15 in both of his seasons in Seattle and he anticipates that it can do something similar in Tuscaloosa.
It’s going to be an adjustment for everyone once ‘Bama takes the field this fall. It just won’t be as big of one as some think it will be for Milroe considering how DeBoer expects things to go offensively.
“The system is built to be able to work with him and do those things,” said DeBoer. “We have a little bit more, maybe, tendency with game-planning and so forth and how we install in fall camp to make sure that all that stuff is the things that we’re practicing to set ourselves up for success in the fall.”