Just a Minute: Should Jalen Milroe be in the Heisman conversation?
Transcript
00:00 Welcome into Bama Central's Just a Minute alongside Austin Hannan.
00:04 I'm Katie Windham.
00:05 In Austin, the Alabama football game this past weekend,
00:07 we saw Jalen Milrow kind of do what people have been wanting him to do all season,
00:11 utilize his legs.
00:12 He ran for a career high, rushing yards, also had four touchdowns,
00:17 while also throwing for over 200 yards.
00:19 He went toe to toe with a guy who was kind of considered one of the Heisman
00:22 favorites in Jaden Daniels.
00:23 So it's kind of led to this question,
00:25 should Alabama's quarterback now be considered in that Heisman conversation?
00:29 >> Well, like you said, I mean, he's evolving.
00:32 Last year, Jalen Milrow was, okay, this guy's really good at running.
00:36 We don't really know what he can bring in a passing game.
00:38 Then this year, there's been like an extra emphasis, it seems,
00:41 on getting him to kind of grow as a passer.
00:43 And I think that they've kind of used him as a passer only just maybe to
00:48 work a little bit of the running out of him to kind of say, hey, okay, look, Jalen,
00:52 if you can pass like this, we can make you a runner again.
00:56 And then of course, on Saturday night, he over doubles his rushing yardage for
01:00 the season.
01:01 He gets in there and we start seeing what we saw against Arkansas and
01:04 Texas A&M last year with him running the football.
01:06 So I think they did a kind of a smart thing to kind of try to maybe lean
01:11 the play style, the playbook to getting him to grow as a passer early in
01:16 the season so that it would open it up like this later in the year.
01:20 And so now, I mean, he's doing both at a pretty efficient rate right now.
01:23 I mean, he didn't throw the ball,
01:25 I wouldn't say tremendously well, he had over 200 yards though,
01:28 which for him this year has been pretty good.
01:30 And then of course, like you said, he ran the ball very well,
01:33 program record four touchdowns in one game.
01:35 And right now, I mean, he's still on the outside looking in for this season.
01:40 I mean, you think about he missed a game out in Tampa and
01:43 obviously the beginning of the year wasn't great.
01:45 And so he was way behind the eight ball at that point.
01:47 But what he's done since then, like you said,
01:51 he's now in the conversation somewhat, he's in the top ten and odds right now.
01:55 So, but like I tweeted yesterday, this is a guy that's gonna be one of
01:59 the favorites next year if he continues to play like this,
02:02 I think the rest of the season and decides to come back.
02:05 I know I've had some people telling me that I think if he keeps doing this,
02:08 the rest of the season he's gonna go pro, that's not true.
02:11 I don't think he even has really a draft grade on him right now.
02:14 But if he continues to do this, he's gonna come back next year and
02:17 he's gonna be one of those guys that people talk about before the year and
02:20 I think deservedly so.
02:22 >> Yeah, I agree.
02:23 I think just because he missed that game early on and
02:26 some games early didn't put up as big of numbers.
02:29 I just don't, I think he's in the conversation I looked on bet MGM,
02:33 he's currently has the 10th best odds.
02:35 You have Michael Penix, Bo Nix, Jaden Daniels up at the top of that list.
02:39 So I think he's, yeah, kind of on the fringes of the conversation, but
02:43 definitely deserves to be entering it now.
02:45 I think if he puts up really big numbers over these next three regular season
02:49 games against Kentucky, Chattanooga and Auburn.
02:52 And then maybe he's able to beat Georgia in the SEC Championship game.
02:57 A lot of times we've seen that last weekend of the year can kind of lead
03:00 the last thing voters see, it's fresh in their mind.
03:03 So I think there is a path, but I think it's gonna be a challenging one and
03:06 he's gonna have to continue to put up huge numbers.
03:09 But I don't think that's his focus.
03:10 I don't think that's the team's focus is what you get Jalen Morrow,
03:13 the Heisman, I think their focus.
03:15 And his focus is what can we do to get Alabama back in the playoffs?
03:19 And it all starts this Saturday at Kentucky.
03:22 And this team, you may not have thought it a while ago, but
03:26 they're in a position now to do that.
03:28 And so we'll be there in Kentucky this weekend and
03:31 continue bringing you coverage from Alabama this week.
03:34 But that'll wrap up today's Just a Minute.
03:36 Thank you so much for watching.
03:37 so much for watching.
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