Alabama avoided transfer exodus by Jalen Milroe leaving, NFL scout claims

One NFL assistant made a bold claim by saying that Alabama would have lost skill players to the transfer portal if Jalen Milroe returned to the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Quite a claim from one NFL scout, who believes Alabama would have lost skill players to the transfer portal -- if Jalen Milroe came back. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Jalen Milroe could have returned to Alabama this season, but the quarterback elected to declare for the NFL Draft instead, a decision that may have helped the Crimson Tide more than his coming back, according to one NFL assistant.

Alabama could’ve had a transfer exodus on its hands if Milroe came back over concerns around the quarterback’s passing accuracy, or perceived lack thereof, he said.

“He’s a 22 mph on the ground guy. He’s got a fastball that’s not very accurate. He doesn’t know when to take it off the ball,” an NFL coordinator told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

He added: “We heard out of Alabama all the skill [players] would’ve transferred if he came back. He wants to be known as a pocket quarterback and your best skill is you’re frickin’ fast.”

The notion that Alabama would have lost skill players if Milroe returned is difficult to fathom, given how much experience he has over the team’s remaining quarterbacks.

Still, another front office executive was even more blunt.

“He’s just so f-cking erratic,” he said. “He’s a smart enough kid, but not a fast processor... Has to see it open. Doesn’t have anticipation.

“He’s the typical big, rifle-armed f-cker who throws everything f-cking hard and fast and will throw a good pass and then the next five, you don’t know where the f-ck they’re going to end up.”

That’s quite a statement, given how integral Milroe proved to be for Alabama’s offense, and despite concerns about accuracy, the quarterback was putting up respectable numbers.

Milroe completed 64.3 percent of his pass attempts over four years at Alabama while covering 6,016 yards in the air with 45 touchdown passes.

It’s true that touchdowns as a percentage of his throws did fall a year ago. In 2023, Milroe threw a touchdown on 8.1 percent of his passes, good for 8th among FBS quarterbacks.

Last season, that figure fell to 5 percent, his worst career mark, averaging 65th in the nation.

But he made up for it with his gifted rushing ability, scoring a personal-best 20 touchdowns on the ground, leading Alabama with 726 rushing yards, and totaled 33 rushing scores in his career.

It’s when he runs the ball that NFL scouts have been floored watching Milroe.

“He has a lot of accuracy issues, but he’s a freak,” another coordinator said. “He’s the best running quarterback I’ve ever evaluated.”

That’s the general formula for scouts when it comes to Milroe. Can he develop into as solid and dangerous a passer as he is a runner? Some team is likely to say yes and take the Alabama quarterback off the board.

(Pelissero)

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