Jalen Milroe on staying at Alabama after Nick Saban retired: 'All about trusting the process'

In early January, as Alabama prepared to turn the page on an impressive 2023 season, Nick Saban shocked the college football world when he announced his retirement. The announcement came after the transfer portal window officially closed, but Crimson Tide players suddenly had a 30-day opening to do so.

Once Saban made his decision, all eyes turned to the quarterback. Jalen Milroe took a huge leap forward after his Week 3 benching – which worked exactly how Saban wanted – and cemented himself as a top quarterback in the SEC. But with a coaching change, he could’ve easily left Alabama, even after Kalen DeBoer came in after leading Washington to the national championship.

Ultimately, Milroe stayed, meaning he’ll be the focal point of a new era in Tuscaloosa. His reasoning was simple, and it involved a quote he heard often from his former coach.

"It was about trusting the process."@AlabamaFTBL QB @JalenMilroe details how a motto of his old coach helped him decide to stick around for a new one.@KrisBudden | @DustyDvoracek | @FozzyWhitt | #SECMD24 | #RollTide pic.twitter.com/YK0hSRcFEe

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) July 18, 2024

“All about trusting the process,” Milroe said on SiriusXM College from SEC Media Days. “Coach Saban talks about trusting the process all the time. … It’s very true.

“And when it came to this offseason about trusting the process and stacking good days and good days, that’s what got me to ultimately stay put and trust the process and not just waiver from things that I can’t control.”

Milroe had a rough start to his time as Alabama’s starting quarterback after Bryce Young’s departure. He struggled in a Week 2 loss to Texas and found himself on the bench against USF the next week. But after Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson struggled, Milroe returned to the starting role and never looked back.

All told, during his junior season, Milroe threw for 2,834 yards, ran for 531 yards and totaled 35 touchdowns – 23 in the air and 12 on the ground. He’ll now learn a new playbook with DeBoer as head coach and Nick Sheridan as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He’s alright with that, though.

After Saban moved on, Milroe evaluated his potential next steps. Ultimately, he saw the pros of staying at Alabama outweigh the cons.

“Coach Saban retired, and of course, there’s a lot of external factors that took place,” Jalen Milroe said. “But it’s all about goals that you want to set. Long-term goals, of course, winning that championship. That’s why you come to Alabama. You want to win, you want to build value for yourself.

“So of course, the long term goal, winning, as far as coming back this next year. Then, getting my degree. … It was all about making the right decision.”