Alabama QB Jalen Milroe says he'll be back for 2024

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe will be returning for the 2024 season.

Milroe wasn’t widely expected to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, but he made it clear on The Next Round show in Alabama that he will be back next season.

“I’m coming back for my senior year,” he said.

Milroe emerged during the season as one of the more dangerous quarterbacks in college football. He was benched for Alabama’s Week 3 win over South Florida after throwing two interceptions in Week 2 vs. Texas but regained his starting role the next week and never relinquished it.

The junior enters the Rose Bowl against Michigan at 171-of-261 passing for 2,718 yards and 23 TDs with six interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 468 yards and 12 TDs.

He had two big runs in the SEC championship game to seal the win over Georgia and get Alabama into the College Football Playoff. That came a week after Milroe hit Isaiah Bond for an improbable fourth-down TD pass that gave Alabama a win over Auburn and kept them in the national title hunt.

Milroe was so good over the final eight weeks of the season that he ended up finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting behind winner Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr, Bo Nix, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jordan Travis.

“Jalen has done a fantastic job for us,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a news conference after Alabama was selected for the College Football Playoff. “His transition and improvement as a player has certainly been a huge factor in the success of our team.”

Alabama is a 1.5-point underdog to Michigan ahead of the CFP semifinal. The Crimson Tide have been the most popular bet ahead of the two semifinal games and are the No. 2 favorite to win the national title behind the Wolverines.