Fans are eagerly waiting to see Alabama play in the 2024 season as the new head coach after the retirement of Nick Saban will lead the team. Kalen DeBoer, Former Washington Huskies’ HC, joined Crimson Tide at that time as Saban’s immediate successor. Not to forget, the top quarterback of Alabama, Jalen Milroe, enrolled his name at Crimson Tide under the coaching of Saban. Therefore, the QB noticed differences in both the HC’s coaching styles.

Under Saban’s guidance, he learned to prepare for the next play instead of being mesmerized by one play. Whereas, DeBoer wanted Milroe to celebrate achievements each day. Despite having so many differences in the thought process of those head coaches, Milroe mentioned, “We still have a great team around us, whether it’s medical staff, academics, recruiting staff, and of course coaches. That’s been consistent.” Hence, it reflects that the team hasn’t taken a step back; instead, they have taken a step forward under DeBoer. Therefore, the growth is quite noticeable as per Milroe. 

Jalen Milroe’s support to head coach

Milroe believes DeBoer’s offensive expertise and personal approach will benefit him from taking his game to the next level. That is why, during an interview, when he was asked about the growth under DeBoer, he mentioned, “As a quarterback, it was an awesome experience. There is summer training, spring ball, so much growth and room for improvement“. This video clip was posted by the senior reporter for Alabama football, Stephen M. Smith, on August 28, 2024, on his X account with an honest caption, “He has not scratched the surface of how well he can be, but #Alabama QB Jalen Milroe discusses what he enjoys about learning from Kalen DeBoer as a ‘quarterback whisperer.‘” 

However, Milroe’s dual-threat capability has bolstered his reputation as a quarterback and he recorded 2,834 passing yards with 23 TDs in total. On praising the QB, Saban said, “We had a first-hand view of what kind of passer he was. We thought he was a really good passer. He’s a superb athlete.” Currently, DeBoer’s innovative coaching style and Milroe’s leadership can keep Alabama in college football’s elite. Although the QB is now announced as team captain for 2024. Let’s find out players’ and coaches’ reactions to that.

Coaches’ reaction to Milroe’s captaincy announcement

During the tenure of Saban, he waited to make Milroe captain until after the regular season. Conversely, Kalen made him captain before the season, along with four more top-deserving players. Both the coaches have huge trust in Jalen’s potential and caliber; that is why DeBoer once said, “He’s been consistent“. Adding, “And that’s what I think one of the biggest qualities you can have is consistency. ” 

However, to get such an opportunity, Milroe said, “I take a lot of pride in representing our football team. Representing the state of Alabama. Representing the guys in our locker room in a positive lighting.” Additionally, he continued, “So to have that opportunity to be a captain this year is very, very important.” Presently, the QB is focusing on improving his leadership skills as he already gained steam regarding Heisman’s shouts.