Jalen Milroe is the only contender for Alabama football’s quarterback competition who has started a game for the Crimson Tide.

Milroe hadn’t done enough in 12 career games to make him the clear starter after Bryce Young’s departure, but Milroe has remained a visible leader in the locker room while he’s developed on the field. Considering the experience he has over his competition, and Milroe’s dual-threat potential, the redshirt sophomore is the most interesting option for head coach Nick Saban and co.

Before Alabama’s second scrimmage this Saturday, here’s a look at Milroe’s strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

The obvious, Milroe’s athleticism makes him one of the most dynamic athletes on any field he steps on. That was true when Milroe was a top-100 prospect coming out of Katy, Texas, and during his short opportunity leading the Tide offense on the road at Arkansas, then at home versus Texas A&M.

Stepping in for an injured Young during the second quarter in Fayetteville, Ark., last October, Milroe produced five touchdown drives, throwing for one and rushing for another with 155 yards of total offense. His highlight was a 77-yard scramble in which the pocket collapsed and Milroe, listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, burst down the right sideline.

A week later, Milroe would produce over 400 yards with four scores against the Aggies, but overall it was an inconsistent day with three giveaways. The Tide defense needed to make a goal-line stand to prevent an upset in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

A run-first offense in 2023 could minimize risk of turnovers (more on that shortly). Plus, Milroe demonstrated his good placement on long throws, so it’s not like defenses should be able to load the box.

After appearing in four games in garbage time as a freshman in 2021, Milroe played in eight games in 2022. Overall, Milroe has scored seven touchdowns (six passing, one rushing) with a career 57% completion rate with an average of 5.6 yards per attempt. Milroe has also ran the ball for 322 yards in his career on 46 attempts with the one score.

Weaknesses

Just like Milroe’s willingness to create outside the pocket was a clear strength, his inability to protect the ball is a definite red flag.

He fumbled twice against A&M and threw another bad pass late and into double coverage. Milroe has been intercepted on three of his 60 career pass attempts.

“I think that he’s making progress. I think the more experience he has, the better he’s going to get at those type of things,” Saban said of Milroe in the spring. “I think one of the things we really try to emphasize is two hands on the ball. I didn’t think his pocket awareness was bad last year. I think his ball security was not what it needs to be. Sometimes when he moved around, you’ve gotta have two hands on the ball, so they can’t knock the ball out of your hands. So that’s something we worked on really hard so far this spring.”

A fumble like what Saban is describing happened against A&M. Climbing up in the pocket, unsure whether or not to tuck it and run or force a throw, Milroe was stripped from behind inducing a groan from the home stands. The question is if Milroe’s grown out of that bad habit and if he can move forward when the inevitable turnover does come.

Outlook

Perhaps the biggest knock against Milroe and freshman Ty Simpson was that if one of them was going to make the leap in performance, Alabama would’ve liked to see it by now. No quarterback had separated himself throughout the spring, and none continued to do so after Tyler Buchner’s transfer from Notre Dame. Earlier this week, Saban repeated how he wants one of the contenders to “force” the coaching staff’s hand in naming a starter.

According to recent reports from 247Sports and the Tuscaloosa News, Milroe appears to be leading the clubhouse as Alabama gets closer to its Sept. 2 opener against Middle Tennessee State. While not confirmed, it’s hard to argue that Milroe isn’t the safest option to start the season. The issue will then be if Milroe can produce enough to prevent the rise of Simpson and his arm strength and Buchner’s own dynamic talent.

If Milroe can limit the giveaways, he provides Alabama with a slightly more experienced option at the sport’s most important position while allowing offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to put stress on defenses with the threat of Milroe’s legs.

RELATED: Here’s why Ty Simpson should be Alabama’s starter

The case for Tyler Buchner

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].