Jalen Milroe NFL Draft stock: When is Alabama QB eligible?

It hasn't always been pretty, but the Alabama Crimson Tide seem to have something special once again under center in Jalen Milroe.

He was in a three-man race to be the heir apparent to Bryce Young in Tuscaloosa during fall camp. Milroe did beat out former five-star recruit Ty Simpson, as well as former Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, to lead the Crimson Tide out of the tunnel this season.

Admittedly, the first quarter of the season did not go swimmingly for him. Alabama lost at home in Week 2 to Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns by multiple scores. Offensive ineptitude vs. South Florida in Buchner's lone Alabama start could have yielded a disaster. But since that pivotal day down in Tampa, Milroe has been playing with a ton of confidence to guide Alabama back into the playoff.

He may not have enough starts to merit turning pro, but the big question is could Milroe actually enter the 2024 NFL Draft this spring? Well, he is a former four-star recruit from Katy, Texas by Alabama in the 2021 recruiting class. This means he is a redshirt sophomore and three years removed from playing high school football. So if Milroe really wanted to, he could enter the NFL Draft this spring.

Even though he can, Milroe would be foolish to do so, and here is why he is definitely going to stay.

Is Alabama Crimson Tide star quarterback Jalen Milroe draft-eligible?

While Milroe can do whatever he wants, it serves him considerably to return to school for at least one more season, maybe even two? If he were to declare after his lone season as the Alabama starter, he would be something like a day-two pick, probably the eighth or ninth quarterback taken this spring. If he were to return and then declare in 2025, he could be one of the first three quarterbacks selected.

This has everything to do with building a brand and racking up more quality starts in a Power Four conference. Milroe has shown us all he can make plays with his legs and thrives in clutch moments. However, he needs to get more refined as a passer. Doing so will allow him a real shot at repeating in the SEC, as well as possibly going to New York City as one of the handful of Heisman Trophy finalists.

Where things stand now, Milroe feels like one of four first-round quarterbacks returning to school next year that will probably declare in 2025. I would venture to guess that Texas' Quinn Ewers is the first guy off the board and Georgia's Carson Beck is second. Duking it out for the third quarterback taken with Milroe would probably be Colorado signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. Not a bad class at all.

Milroe declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft would be more shocking than Cam Ward doing so Monday.