The Wolverines will be challenged by Jalen Milroe, but that’s not the only key for the Michigan defense.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan: In the College Football Playoff in the Rose Bowl, Michigan football will have to contend with Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense.
Former four-star prospect Milroe is a dual-threat quarterback of a caliber the Wolverines haven’t seen this season. Jaylen Harrell described him earlier this week as “talented, real athletic, freaky,” and he’s not afraid to throw it deep, as evidenced by Alabama’s fourth-best pass play total in the country (40 yards or more). With 12 running touchdowns this season, Milroe’s development during the 2023 campaign was crucial to the Crimson Tide’s trip back to the College Football Playoffs.
Jesse Minter, the defensive coordinator for Michigan, discussed the difficulties Alabama presents on Tuesday. He discussed the Wolverines’ preparations and the elements of the Crimson Tide that are challenging to duplicate in real life as follows:
To assist us get ready for these situations, I believe we get the opportunity to play against a really solid offensive every day. Undoubtedly, there have been teams with talented players who we have had to match up with and attempt to contain. We haven’t seen a quarterback like this, in my opinion. The closest thing we see, in my opinion, is when some of our guys practice. As a scrambler, Taulia at Maryland was somewhat of the same kind of guy. But a player with this level of run game involvement and his ability to make plays off the schedule. I believe Alex Orji did an excellent job portraying Milroe as a scout. squad QB]: Yesterday, a few of our guys made this statement. He and Davis Warren have both performed amazingly well.
It’s not easy to play the offensive line, I know. You are discussing 6-7 360, 6-7 360. There isn’t anyone here. Our offense is led by Myles Hinton. As a result, we have no one, which makes simulating their speed and actions extremely difficult. Therefore, even while the quarterback is crucial, and we’re working very hard to manage him, it’s more difficult to replicate the other positions and the quality they’ve accumulated over time.
Everyone is aware of their high-level recruitment process. That makes it the most difficult to replicate. On the first, we’ll find out if we’re ready. To be honest, it’s cheap to talk about it now. If we’re ready, we’ll find out when the ball is kicked off. Because of the way our troops have tackled it and are working on it, I have no doubt that we will have a chance to succeed.
Two of the better quarterbacks the Wolverines saw this season, Drew Allar of Penn State and Kyle McCord of Ohio State, were mostly pocket passers. Even while U-M saw Tagovailoa and other dual-threat quarterbacks earlier in the season, none had the same potential as Milroe. Despite being a formidable offensive line, he has struggled with pass protection this season. His ability to scramble helps generate great plays behind this line.
