Alabama's decision to hire Kalen DeBoer marks a significant paradigm shift in one of college football's most storied programs. The Crimson Tide go from Nick Saban -- as close to a sure thing as you can get in this sport -- to a relatively young up-and-comer with just two years of head coaching experience at the power conference level.
Suffice to say, many Tide fans have some some legitimate concerns about DeBoer's inexperience. But one thing's for sure: His arrival in Tuscaloosa is a best-case scenario for Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Milroe showed progress as a first-year starter for Alabama in 2023. He narrowly won the starting battle in the offseason, got benched after a Week 2 loss to Texas and came back to finish the last six regular season games with 17 total touchdowns.
As fans were treated to passing glimpses of Milroe's high ceiling, it became obvious there is still a ton left in the tank. Milroe would show flashes of greatness, but consistency eluded him -- even, at times, during his hot late-season run. He's still a ball of clay that's far from fully formed. And DeBoer is the perfect coach to unlock that remaining potential.
Simply put, quarterbacks -- and offenses as a result -- get significantly better when DeBoer arrives on the scene. There's plenty of historical data from each of his last three major jobs to show that he just understands how to get the most out of a signal caller and the playmakers around him.
Tracking DeBoer's 'Midas Touch' with quarterbacks
Indiana
When DeBoer arrived at Indiana as offensive coordinator in 2019, he inherited a passing offense that managed a paltry 257.8 yards per game the year prior. The Hoosiers made a change at quarterback in DeBoer's first year, benching incumbent starter Peyton Ramsey for redshirt freshman Michael Penix Jr.
Penix would go on to suffer a season-ending injury five games into the year, handing the reins back to Ramsey. Even with the quarterback turnover, Indiana still improved its passing offense by almost 50 yards per game, finishing second in the Big Ten with a 302.4-yard average.
A look at Ramsey's numbers before, during and after DeBoer's time with the Hoosiers shows the impact he can have on a quarterback.
- 2018 (before DeBoer): 12 starts, 2,875 yards passing (239.6 per start), 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions
- 2019 (with DeBoer): 7 starts, 2,454 yards passing (350.6 per start), 13 touchdowns to 5 interceptions
- 2020 (after DeBoer, transferred to Northwestern): 9 starts, 1,733 yards passing (192.6 per start), 12 touchdowns to 8 interceptions
For further context, Indiana averaged 250.9 yards passing per game in its first season without DeBoer after he left for Fresno State. That was good for fifth in the Big Ten during the 2020 season.
Fresno State
DeBoer was hired as Fresno State's head coach in 2020, charged with turning around a program that went 4-8 in the prior season. Before his arrival, the Bulldogs boasted a passing offense that finished seventh out of 12 Mountain West Conference teams with 226.8 yards per game. To compound matters, DeBoer had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of starting QB and team captain Jorge Reyna.
Yet Fresno State came away from DeBoer's first year as one of the most prolific passing offenses in the nation. DeBoer inherited Jake Haener, a former lightly-recruited three-star prospect who transferred to Fresno State after two seasons of nothing at Washington. Under Deboer's guidance, Haener finished fourth nationally in passing yards per game with 336.8.
In 2021 Haener became just the fourth quarterback in Fresno State history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He ranked eighth in the FBS in passing yards per game (315.1), ninth in passing yards (4,096) and 11th in passing touchdowns (33).
Washington
DeBoer was hired at Washington after guiding Fresno State to nine wins in 2021. Despite the program's success during its most recent heyday under Chris Petersen, Washington has never been renowned for its passing attack. In the decade between the Pac-12's expansion to 12 teams and DeBoer's hiring, the Huskies finished no better than fifth in the conference in passing yards per game -- and that was during a 2020 season in which they played just four games. Their average finish came in at around 8th in the conference during that span.
So DeBoer leaned on a familiar face to turn things around, bringing Penix in from Indiana and handing him the starting job. Penix subsequently threw for 4,641 yards, surpassing his four-year career total of 4,197, in the first fully healthy season of his career.
As an encore, Penix shattered those numbers in 2023, passing for 4,903 yards 36 touchdowns while leading the Huskies to an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship. He also finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish ever for a Huskies player. Washington is the only school in the Pac-12 to average at least 350 yards passing per game over the last two seasons.
How Milroe fits into it all
Milroe has all the physical tools to be an absolute star. In fact, he might be the most naturally gifted quarterback DeBoer has ever worked with.
He carries a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame that makes him look like a member of the Crimson Tide's linebacker room. He has a livewire arm, with the ability to zip throws into tight windows and lob bombs down the field without much apparent effort. Milroe is also a multi-dimensional threat who looks just as comfortable running the ball as he does in the pocket.
He ran a laser-timed 4.64 40-yard dash out of high school, a mark that's almost certainly gotten better as he's worked through a collegiate strength and conditioning program. He is comfortable outside of structure and if a play isn't there, he's more than happy to tuck it and run -- Milroe averaged over five sack-adjusted yards per carry.
In terms of scheme, Milroe's game should translate well. Washington boasted college football's most prolific deep passing attack in 2023, maximizing DeBoer's offensive philosophy built around splash plays. Penix led all FBS quarterbacks with 74 completions for 20-plus yards, and 194 of his throws went for at least 10 yards. Oregon's Bo Nix ranked second with 166 passes of at least 10 yards.
Of Penix's 555 attempts, 21.3% covered 20 yards, more than any other quarterback in the country. Milroe has the arm strength required to make those throws and DeBoer's play-calling should allow Alabama's incumbent starter to open things up.
But there will be an adjustment period for Milroe. Full-time starters under DeBoer have averaged 533 attempts per season. Penix had at least 550 attempts in each of his two years with the Huskies. Meanwhile, Milroe threw less than 300 passes in his first year as a starter.
DeBoer is likely to meet Milroe somewhere in the middle, tailoring his offense to his new quarterback's strengths. He's never had a signal caller with Milroe's running back-like ability in the open field. We just saw LSU's Jayden Daniels take home the Heisman thanks to a high-level combination of passing and rushing ability. With DeBoer calling the shots, it isn't unrealistic to see Milroe following in those footsteps.
