Alabama surged to an SEC championship with a 27-24 upset of No. 1 Georgia, and its quarterback, Jalen Milroe, may surge up some Heisman lists after his Most Valuable Player performance.
Milroe has been a huge factor in the team's success as he's been one of the most-improved players of the year, bringing energy to an offense that was lacking early in the season.
Moving into the upcoming season, he'll be more than just another player to watch.
Jalen Milroe stats in the SEC Championship
Milroe was up and down at the beginning of the season and certainly did not turn any heads last season in relief of Bryce Young due to his inexperience and lack of game reps, but he's completely flipped his narrative. Milroe is not just improved at this point, he is set to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football for the 2024 season with the ceiling of an early-round draft pick.
Milroe finished out Saturday's victory 13-of-23 passing for 192 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 14 times for 29 yards. He made two vital runs on Alabama's final drive, running for 30 yards on the drive's first play, then later gaining nine yards on second-and-8 that allowed the Tide to kneel out the clock.
On Alabama's final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Milroe was 4-for-4 for 57 yards while Alabama clung to a three-point lead.
Jalen Milroe regular season stats 2023
See below for how Milroe finished out the 2023 season before Alabama headed into the postseason. He was shaky at first as a passer, but has since projected as a true dual-threat quarterback.
| Game | Comp | Att | Passing yards | TD | INT |
| at Auburn | 16 | 24 | 259 | 2 | 0 |
| vs. Chattanooga | 13 | 16 | 197 | 3 | 0 |
| at Kentucky | 15 | 22 | 234 | 3 | 1 |
| vs. LSU | 15 | 23 | 219 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. Tennessee | 14 | 21 | 220 | 2 | 1 |
| vs. Arkansas | 10 | 21 | 238 | 2 | 0 |
| at Texas A&M | 21 | 33 | 321 | 3 | 1 |
| at Mississippi State | 10 | 12 | 164 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. Ole Miss | 17 | 21 | 225 | 1 | 1 |
| vs. Texas | 14 | 27 | 255 | 2 | 2 |
| vs. MTSU | 13 | 18 | 194 | 3 | 0 |
| Regular season total | 158 | 238 | 2,526 | 21 | 6 |
Jalen Milroe Heisman Trophy odds
The Heisman Trophy race is largely considered to come down between Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels at this point, according to BETMGM. Daniels may have a slight edge after Oregon's loss in the Pac-12 championship game.
But also within that shakeup should be a significant rise in the standing for Milroe, who was tied for third place in the latest release of the odds.
The Heisman will be awarded on Saturday, Dec. 10.
| Name | School | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Bo Nix | Oregon | -185 |
| Jayden Daniels | LSU | +140 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +1600 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State | +15000 |
| Carson Beck | Georgia | +15000 |
| Jalen Milroe | Alabama | +15000 |