Tim Tebow, Roman Harper discuss growth from Alabama, Jalen Milroe since Week 1

Alabama has had a circuitous and often more challenging than expected path to get to 5-1 at the halfway point of the season. But coming off a key SEC West win over Texas A&M last weekend, Tim Tebow and Roman Harper discussed the progress of the Crimson Tide so far.

Joining the “Paul Finebaum Show” on Friday, both Tebow and Harper sang the praises of Alabama and quarterback Jalen Milroe, both of whom have notably improved as the season has progressed. The win in College Station was a good barometer to both that Alabama is a real player in the SEC this season.

“I think Alabama took a step up and continued to improve as a team and you look at the way they’re getting coached, they’re getting better and better and better,” Tebow said.

Harper specifically commend Milroe’s improvements as a passer.

After going and throwing for more than 300 yards in a game where Texas A&M was not letting Alabama run for much, Harper couldn’t help but be impressioned by Milroe’s improvement arc.

“Early on in the season, everybody had a great game by Milroe, Week 1. Week 2 versus Texas, they lose. Next thing you know, they’re no longer that same team, that same powerhouse,” Harper said. “But, things happen. And what you saw out of Jalen Milroe last week was that, ‘Hey, he can go out there and throw you and win you a game throwing the football.’ That’s something that we did not anticipate out of the Alabama team early on. So, because of that, with the defense playing the way that they are, Alabama will be a tough out. Alabama is a team that’s showing progress and hey, they still have Nick Saban and they still are Alabama and so they will be scary going forward because we know how much talent they have on that roster.”

And he wasn’t going to say Alabama was “back” or not — in part because the Crimson Tide never really left, so to speak. He is certain that the Crimson Tide have started to figure themselves out, which is a scary idea for the competition.

“I’m not going to say back as much as I’m going to say they are figuring themselves out and that every year you kind of form your own identity, each team individually takes on whatever the personality and whatever the season, the ebbs and flows, brings you,” Harper said.