Nick Saban on Jalen Milroe's practice week: Energy, attitude and execution

No. 13 Alabama is calling back the services of Jalen Milroe to start under center for Saturday’s ranked matchup against No. 15 Ole Miss.

After Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson failed to impress head coach Nick Saban during Week 3’s 17-3 win over USF, it seems Milroe will be the guy for the foreseeable future in Tuscaloosa. Saban gave a slight update on where his QB1 has been trending ahead of the Crimson Tide’s SEC opener.

“He’s doing good. I think his energy has been good,” Saban said on Wednesday. “I think his attitude has been great and I think the execution on the field has been good, so it’s been good.”

Through two games this season (he did not play against the Bulls), Milroe has thrown for 449 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He’ll likely surpass the century mark on the ground for the season against the Rebels (92 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and continue his prowess as a dual-threat quarterback.

Having backed up Bryce Young for the past two seasons, Milroe has seen what it takes to be a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback in Tuscaloosa. He’s already posted career-highs through two games in 2023, and given the chance to play without worrying about his job could do wonders for his confidence, and in turn his abilities on the field.

He’s never been labeled the guy with this team, and even with Young gone the confidence in his abilities hasn’t been there. Saban originally brought Buchner into the program to spice things up with the Milroe-Simpson quarterback competition over the summer. Milroe ended up winning the job out of camp but was benched after one loss — that has set the tone for a confusing offensive identity to begin the season.

It’s unlikely Alabama is able to solve its quarterback problem in one week, which bodes well for the upset-minded Rebels. Whether or not that results in a 1-2 start for Alabama inside Bryant-Denny Stadium to begin the season remains to be seen, but there’s legitimate concern this issue lasts longer into the Tide’s SEC schedule.

Now that Buchner and Simpson have had their turns, Milroe might have an opportunity to play a bit more freely with their uninspiring performances fresh in Saban’s mind. If not, more inconsistencies could turn into a long night for Alabama for the second-straight game at home.

Kickoff between the ranked conference foes is set for 3:30 p.m. ET live on CBS.