Alabama’s determination to rent Kalen DeBoer marks a major paradigm shift in considered one of school soccer’s most storied packages. The Crimson Tide go from Nick Saban — as near a certain factor as you may get on this sport — to a comparatively younger up-and-comer with simply two years of head teaching expertise on the energy convention stage. 

Suffice to say, many Tide followers have some some reliable considerations about DeBoer’s inexperience. However one factor’s for certain: His arrival in Tuscaloosa is a best-case state of affairs for Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe. 

Milroe confirmed progress as a first-year starter for Alabama in 2023. He narrowly received the beginning battle within the offseason, acquired benched after a Week 2 loss to Texas and got here again to complete the final six common season video games with 17 whole touchdowns. 

As followers have been handled to passing glimpses of Milroe’s excessive ceiling, it turned apparent there may be nonetheless a ton left within the tank. Milroe would present flashes of greatness, however consistency eluded him — even, at occasions, throughout his sizzling late-season run. He is nonetheless a ball of clay that is removed from absolutely fashioned. And DeBoer is the right coach to unlock that remaining potential. 

Merely put, quarterbacks — and offenses in consequence — get considerably higher when DeBoer arrives on the scene. There’s loads of historic knowledge from every of his final three main jobs to indicate that he simply understands easy methods to get essentially the most out of a sign caller and the playmakers round him. 

Monitoring DeBoer’s ‘Midas Contact’ 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 sport the 12 months prior. The Hoosiers made a change at quarterback in DeBoer’s first 12 months, benching incumbent starter Peyton Ramsey for redshirt freshman Michael Penix Jr. 

Penix would go on to endure a season-ending damage 5 video games into the 12 months, handing the reins again to Ramsey. Even with the quarterback turnover, Indiana nonetheless improved its passing offense by nearly 50 yards per sport, ending second within the Huge Ten with a 302.4-yard common. 

A take a look at Ramsey’s numbers earlier than, throughout and after DeBoer’s time with the Hoosiers reveals the affect he can have on a quarterback. 

• 2018 (earlier than DeBoer): 12 begins, 2,875 yards passing (239.6 per begin), 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions 
• 2019 (with DeBoer): 7 begins, 2,454 yards passing (350.6 per begin), 13 touchdowns to five interceptions 
• 2020 (after DeBoer, transferred to Northwestern): 9 begins, 1,733 yards passing (192.6 per begin), 12 touchdowns to eight interceptions

For additional context, Indiana averaged 250.9 yards passing per sport in its first season with out DeBoer after he left for Fresno State. That was good for fifth within the Huge Ten in the course of the 2020 season. 

Fresno State 

DeBoer was employed as Fresno State’s head coach in 2020, charged with turning round a program that went 4-8 within the prior season. Earlier than his arrival, the Bulldogs boasted a passing offense that completed seventh out of 12 Mountain West Convention groups with 226.8 yards per sport. To compound issues, DeBoer needed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of beginning QB and staff captain Jorge Reyna. 

But Fresno State got here away from DeBoer’s first 12 months as some of the prolific passing offenses within 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. Underneath Deboer’s steerage, Haener completed fourth nationally in passing yards per sport with 336.8. 

In 2021 Haener turned simply the fourth quarterback in Fresno State historical past to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He ranked eighth within the FBS in passing yards per sport (315.1), ninth in passing yards (4,096) and eleventh in passing touchdowns (33). 

Washington

DeBoer was employed at Washington after guiding Fresno State to 9 wins in 2021. Regardless of this system’s success throughout its most up-to-date heyday below Chris Petersen, Washington has by no means been famend for its passing assault. Within the decade between the Pac-12’s enlargement to 12 groups and DeBoer’s hiring, the Huskies completed no higher than fifth within the convention in passing yards per sport — and that was throughout a 2020 season through which they performed simply 4 video games. Their common end got here in at round eighth within the convention throughout that span. 

So DeBoer leaned on a well-known face to show issues round, bringing Penix in from Indiana and handing him the beginning job. Penix subsequently threw for 4,641 yards, surpassing his four-year profession whole of 4,197, within the first absolutely wholesome season of his profession. 

As an encore, Penix shattered these numbers in 2023, passing for 4,903 yards 36 touchdowns whereas main the Huskies to an look within the School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship. He additionally completed second in Heisman Trophy voting, the very best end ever for a Huskies participant. Washington is the one college within the Pac-12 to common at the least 350 yards passing per sport during the last two seasons. 

How Milroe matches into all of it 

Milroe has all of the bodily instruments to be an absolute star. The truth is, he could be essentially the most naturally gifted quarterback DeBoer has ever labored with. 

He carries a 6-foot-2, 220-pound body that makes him appear like a member of the Crimson Tide’s linebacker room. He has a livewire arm, with the power to zip throws into tight home windows and lob bombs down the sector with out a lot obvious effort. Milroe can be a multi-dimensional menace who appears to be like simply as snug working the ball as he does within the pocket. 

He ran a laser-timed 4.64 40-yard sprint out of highschool, a mark that is nearly actually gotten higher as he is labored by way of a collegiate power and conditioning program. He’s snug exterior of construction and if a play is not there, he is more than pleased to tuck it and run — Milroe averaged over 5 sack-adjusted yards per carry. 

By way of scheme, Milroe’s sport ought to translate nicely. Washington boasted school soccer’s most prolific deep passing assault in 2023, maximizing DeBoer’s offensive philosophy constructed round splash performs. Penix led all FBS quarterbacks with 74 completions for 20-plus yards, and 194 of his throws went for at the least 10 yards. Oregon’s Bo Nix ranked second with 166 passes of at the least 10 yards. 

Of Penix’s 555 makes an attempt, 21.3% lined 20 yards, greater than another quarterback within the nation. Milroe has the arm power required to make these throws and DeBoer’s play-calling ought to enable Alabama’s incumbent starter to open issues up. 

However there will probably be an adjustment interval for Milroe. Full-time starters below DeBoer have averaged 533 makes an attempt per season. Penix had at the least 550 makes an attempt in every of his two years with the Huskies. In the meantime, Milroe threw lower than 300 passes in his first 12 months as a starter. 

DeBoer is more likely to meet Milroe someplace within the center, tailoring his offense to his new quarterback’s strengths. He is by no means had a sign caller with Milroe’s working back-like skill within the open subject. We simply noticed LSU’s Jayden Daniels take house the Heisman due to a high-level mixture of passing and dashing skill. With DeBoer calling the photographs, it is not unrealistic to see Milroe following in these footsteps.