Jalen Milroe on position change: 'You don't ask a zebra to be a dog'

A few quarterbacks have entered the NFL Draft process with questions about a position change. Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe is the latest. Some are wondering with the athleticism and great running ability Milroe possesses — could his talents be used elsewhere? No matter the answer, Milroe is not entertaining the idea.

Milroe was once again asked about a position change on Wednesday and provided an incredible response.

“You don’t ask a zebra to be a dog,” Milroe said via NBC’s Chris Simms.

This is not the first time Milroe has had to go through the conversation of moving away from quarterback. Former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien attempted to put Milroe somewhere else on the Crimson Tide roster. At the time, Bryce Young was the starting quarterback in Tuscaloosa as Milroe served as the backup.

O’Brien doubting Milroe was used as motivation the past two seasons.

“All my life, even when I was in college,” Milroe said ahead of the Rose Bowl in late 2023. “My own offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien told me I shouldn’t play quarterback. So there’s a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that’s something I have motivation on.”

Milroe has stuck at quarterback and done so with some support. Nick Saban named him the starter ahead of the 2023 season and even through some bumps, Milroe got Alabama to the College Football Playoff.

Kalen DeBoer took over after Saban, deciding to keep Milroe as the program’s leader. Even Senior Bowl EVP Jim Nagy wanted to make sure no position change questions were asked regarding Milroe, similar to what Jalen Hurts experienced a few years ago in Mobile.

The goal has and always will be to play quarterback or as Milroe put it, be a zebra.

NFL teams are now tasked with scouting Milroe and figuring out how to get the best out of him. From a passer standpoint, the Georgia game will stand out as a positive one. Milroe threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns while completing over 80% of his throws. You can add in 16 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns as well, showing the true dual-threat ability.

Milroe is still in the early stages of the NFL Draft process, meeting with teams, and getting an idea of where he could be selected. One thing appears certain, though — Milroe is going to be a quarterback and does not plan on changing his mind.