How Alabama football, Kalen DeBoer plan to replace Jalen Milroe in run game

When thinking about replacing Jalen Milroe, and especially the former Alabama football starting quarterback’s running ability, Kalen DeBoer knows where the average person’s mind goes.

“You kind of think, ‘Well, the runs Jalen had just translate to the running backs,'” DeBoer said.

Simple, right?

Well, not quite.

In the quarterback room, as DeBoer, newly-hired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan work to secure Milroe’s replacement, it’s not a room of dual-threat options.

It’s not that Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are not athletes. It’s not that they can’t run the ball. It’s a recognition DeBoer and his staff have already made that none of the three, whoever takes the first snap against Florida State Aug. 30, will have the same rushing production as Milroe.

Milroe’s kind of production in the run game is difficult to replicate, leading the team in carries (168), rushing yards (726) and rushing touchdowns (20), nearly doubling the total rushing scores compared to the rest of Alabama’s 2024 roster.

What will Alabama football run game look like without Jalen Milroe?

So what is the answer? Who does DeBoer see as making up that production? It’s not solely about the running backs, he said. But it starts there.

“To me, those runs go to the running backs, but it also may be a few more pass attempts that you have that the play-action game gets opened up with more handoffs to the tailback,” DeBoer said. “I see a lot of that kind of developing now with the play-action game because there are more carries the running backs have.”

In his two seasons as a starting quarterback, 160 of Milroe’s 603 pass attempts came out of play-action sets — about 26%. He completed about 66% of those throws for 1,460 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Alabama may be…

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Publish date : 2025-03-18 20:00:00

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