Jalen Milroe forgoes entering NFL Draft, will remain at Alabama in 2024
Jalen Milroe's final game in an Alabama uniform will not be in this year's College Football Playoff.
The standout quarterback, who finished sixth in the 2023 Heisman Trophy voting, announced that he will forgo entering the 2024 NFL Draft and will remain at Alabama next fall.
"Yeah, I'm coming back for my senior year," Milroe said with a smile when asked during an appearance on "The Next Round" show.
Milroe is set to graduate this weekend with a degree in business administration and minor in entrepreneurship, but as far as eligibility goes, he is listed as a redshirt sophomore.
Milroe's first season as Alabama's starter under center did not begin on the brightest note. The Crimson Tide fell to Texas back in Week 2, and then Milroe was benched the following week in a 17-3 win over USF.
However, Milroe regained his starting spot and was outstanding in the second half of the season, especially down the stretch. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound dual-threat QB threw for 1,321 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions with 330 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns over Alabama's last six games, culminating in an upset win over No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
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Milroe finished the season by completing 65.5% of his passes for 2,718 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 468 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores. He finished with four first-place votes in the Heisman race, and was named second-team All-SEC.
More importantly for Alabama, Milroe's second-half surge kept the program's playoff hopes alive. The Crimson Tide received the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff, being picked over undefeated Florida State, in part, because of Milroe's strong play at the end of the year. They will face No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. If Milroe is able to lead Alabama to another win over a No. 1 team, he'll get to play in Houston for the national title, which is located just under 30 miles away from his hometown of Katy, Texas.
Looking beyond the upcoming College Football Playoff, Milroe has already positioned himself as a favorite to win the Heisman in 2024. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt recently listed him as the second favorite to win the award next season. He also received the most Heisman votes this season out of any quarterback that still has eligibility in 2024.
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It's unclear what Milroe's draft stock was for the 2024 NFL Draft, but USC's Caleb Williams and UNC's Drake Maye have been viewed as the top-two prospects in the class. LSU's Jayden Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy have also been discussed as possible first-round picks.
The Crimson Tide are still awaiting draft decisions from offensive tackle JC Latham, linebacker Dallas Turner and cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, among others. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 15, which is a week after the national title game.