Six reasons Jalen Milroe will win the Heisman Trophy in 2024

The Alabama Crimson Tide team itself has not been talked about a lot this season with the retirement of Nick Saban who spent 17 years at the school and led the Tide to six national championships. However, the Tide return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. On offense specifically, the Tide will not be short on talent led by starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, who I  predict will win the Heisman Trophy in 2024.

Why will Jalen Milroe win the Heisman Trophy in 2024?

1. Jalen Milroe and Jayden Daniels comparison

Jayden Daniels early season struggles: In his first season as LSU’s starting quarterback in 2022, Jayden Daniels looked anything but a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback he would become just one season later. And that is exactly how Milroe looked early on for the Tide in 2023 which was his first season starting in Tuscaloosa.

Jalen Milroe early season struggles: The most notable game for Milroe was the game against the Texas Longhorns in week two of the 2023 season in which Milroe noticeably struggled as the Tide fell at home 34-24. Milroe would go only 14-27 throwing for 255 yards, throwing two interceptions and two touchdowns on the evening. The Tide would go as far as benching Milroe the following week against USF.

Second half of season improvement: Things looked all but lost for Milroe, but he would show the college football world and respond with much improvement in the second half of the 2023 season, and that is exactly what Daniels showed at LSU back in 2022 during his first year starting. Daniels took off from there, kept improving and won the Heisman Trophy as mentioned in 2023.

After week five for Daniels in 2022, he would throw for 300 yards twice, and nearly a third time throwing for 297 against UAB. In the first five weeks, Daniels did not throw for 300 yards one time. Not only was he finding his footing, but chemistry with the LSU offense as well.

LSU Tigers first round draft picks: The Tigers would go on to have three first rounders in the 2024 NFL Draft, and it is no coincidence that it was Daniels and two of his receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. who he has developed that chemistry with throughout his time as the starter in Baton Rouge.

Milroe's second half of season improvement: Milroe’s numbers looked eerily similar for the Tide through his first part of last season. Milroe would not throw for more than 300 yards until his fifth game when he threw for 321 against the Texas A&M Aggies. This is within one week of Daniels throwing his first 300 yard game which came back in week six of 2022.

The dual threat Milroe was nowhere close to 100 yards rushing in any of the first seven games in 2023 for the Tide. He would explode in the second half of the season rushing for more than 100 yards twice against SEC opponents LSU and Auburn.

Jayden Daniel's 2022 stats: Overall in Daniels first year starting for the Tigers in 2022, he threw for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. He would add another 885 yards on the ground and 11 rushing touchdowns.

Jalen Milroe's 2023 stats: For Milroe’s first year starting for the Tide in 2023, he threw for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He would rush for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Arguably, Milroe had an even more impressive first season as a starting quarterback than Daniels did, and it worked out okay for Daniels who not only won the Heisman, but was drafted second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.

2. Weapons surround Milroe on offense

Running back Trio: The Tide have a trio of running backs in Jamarion Miller, Justice Haynes and Richard Young who are primed for big numbers whether it be individual or as a unit in 2023. Honestly, these names will be much more impactful than last years lead running backs in Roydell Williams and Jase McClellan who were lost to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft. A productive running back room will help Milroe and the passing game as well.

Wide receiver chemistry: Much like Daniels of LSU, Milroe is in year two with some of his wide receivers in Kendrick Law and Kobe Prentice who factor to have bigger roles for the Tide in 2024. A year of chemistry between these wide outs and Milroe should be invaluable for Milroe. The emergence of Washington transfer Germie Bernard who shined in the spring game  as a deep threat for Milroe showed great promise as well.

Experienced offensive line: The Tide return offensive line anchors Kadyn Proctor, Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts to go along with other projected first year Alabama starters Parker Brailsford and Elijah Pritchett. And we all know that chemistry on an offensive line is imperative.

3. Better snaps for Milroe

Although Brailsford is new to the program, he came over from Washington with first year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. Brailsford started 13 games at center for the Huskies in 2023 and is presumed to be a stabilizing force at the position for the Tide who struggled mightily with snaps on offense on 2023.

It may seem subtle watching it on TV or in the crowd, but a snap that is even slightly off as it was many times for Milroe and the Tide last year can throw the entire offense off their cadence.

Timing on the play is ruined, and it tended to not run as smooth as was seen over and over again on the field. You can look no further than the last play of the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff against the Michigan Wolverines which cost the Tide a shot at a national championship.

Based on the spring game, although Brailsford did not participate, the Tide seem to have rectified the snap situation.

In fact, Brailsford was part of an offensive line last year at Washington that won the Joe Moore Award, which is the award given to the best offensive line in the country.

4. Kalen DeBoer is offensive minded

While Saban is inarguably the greatest coach of all time, that also means that everyone else is not, including Kirby Smart, Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne and so many others. And DeBoer is one of those. With that being said, he is still amongst the elite in the game right now and unlike Saban, DeBoer will bring an offensive minded approach to the Tide.

Kalen DeBoer doesn't coach game managers: Traditionally throughout Saban’s tenure the Tide saw its fair share of quarterbacks that were seen as “game managers.” While these players like Jake Coker, AJ McCarron and Greg McElroy still won national championships, you could tell the focus was on defense and controlling the game. In 2023, you saw a similar gameplan with Milroe.

Despite the apparent “game manager” approach with Milroe in 2023, he still managed to lead the Tide to an SEC Championship, college football playoff appearance and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. And that was with a defensive minded coach. Imagine what Milroe can do with an offensive minded one in DeBoer.

5. Michael Penix Jr. followed Kalen DeBoer

Penix Jr.'s completion percentage: Although it was limited to only six games, former Washington Huskies quarterback had his best season in 2019 for the Indiana Hoosiers as far as completion percentage goes, completing 68.8 percent of his passes. DeBoer was offensive coordinator for the Hoosiers that season before exiting for the head coaching job at Fresno State the following year. Fast forward to 2022 and the pair would reunite in Washington.

Penix Jr.'s comment on DeBoer: Penix Jr. would not have followed DeBoer if he did not credit him at least to some extent with his development and trust him. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, when asked about DeBoer, Penix Jr. Stated, “he definitely is one of the biggest reasons for my success. He’s the biggest reason that I chose the University of Washington and I had a lot of success there, playing in his offense.”

This proved to be the right decision for Penix Jr. who would throw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns in two seasons for the Huskies. Penix Jr. would finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2023.

If this is any indication, Milroe is in for some impressive numbers in 2024.

6. Milroe’s 2023 Heisman Trophy vote ranking

Milroe finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season as mentioned and is actually the highest returning vote getter going into the 2024 college football season. All five who ranked above him in votes in 2023 were drafted into the NFL. Three of them in Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix who were first second and third in the voting respectively were all drafted into the first round.