Alabama football's Jalen Milroe goes from hero captain to competition on A-Day | Goodbread

Here's how much, and how fast, things can change if you're Jalen Milroe these days.

1 p.m.: Be honored as a permanent team captain from last year's SEC Championship team in front of several thousand Alabama football fans.

3 p.m.: Fight for the quarterback job all over again in front of 72,358.

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That was Milroe's Saturday in a two-hour snapshot. Legendary coach Nick Saban buzzed over from The Masters in Augusta, Ga., to take in A-Day festivities, and in his first public appearance in Tuscaloosa since retiring in January, he extolled Milroe and two other 2023 team captains — Malachi Moore and Dallas Turner — for their importance in winning an SEC title. At the Walk of Fame ceremony near Denny Chimes, Milroe placed his throwing hand in wet cement to make his place in Alabama history permanent, was handed a towel to clean it off, then went straight to Bryant-Denny Stadium. That right hand, after all, had more important business.

That's because Milroe's not guaranteed anything in 2024. At least, that's been his mental approach this spring.

"I'm starving (to learn). There are some things I can get better at from last year," Milroe said. "Each and every day I'm trying to be my best me."

Milroe said he's welcomed learning a new offensive system, as it should make him a more well-rounded passer, and if his hand was still sticky from wet cement when A-Day got underway, you wouldn't have known it from his first two drives. The Crimson Tide's fourth-year junior first connected with transfer Germie Bernard for a deep completion to set up a five-play touchdown drive, then on his second possession, he found Bernard deep once again for 52 yards to set up a four-play TD march.

Two possessions, nine plays, 14 points.

Milroe's opening act led the offense's 34-28 win over the defense. No, there's no team split anymore, at least not this year. Coach Kalen DeBoer installed a scoring system for the defense so that a score could be kept, and it would have been a rout had the defense not rallied late with a flurry of three-and-out series, which were worth three points each.

When it came to A-Day scoring, indeed, fans had something to learn from DeBoer just like his players.

Under a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator, in a new offensive system, Milroe is wise not to presume his 2023 exploits automatically buy him a starting role this fall. Coaching changes don't work that way. DeBoer's loyalty must be to production, not precedent. Milroe received the majority of the practice repetitions with the first-team offense this spring, and DeBoer has had nothing but praise for him. But he's spoken highly of the quarterback room as a whole too, and when the Crimson Tide opens the season against Western Kentucky Aug. 31, it'll be the 2024 offseason, not the 2023 SEC championship season, that will determine who gets the starting nod at every position.

Including quarterback.

Milroe, Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan all had their moments on A-Day, competing along with another transfer in former Washington QB Austin Mack. From outside the locker room, Milroe should be considered the favorite for the job. He's by far the most game-experienced, the most accomplished, and of course is a dynamic athlete capable of breaking off explosive runs like no other quarterback Alabama has.

He was the one with his hand in wet cement Saturday, after all.

He just had to forget about it as soon as he dried it off.

Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football's Milroe goes from captain to competition | Goodbread