QB Jalen Milroe returning to Alabama for senior year - ESPN

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe plans to return to school for his senior season after leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC championship and College Football Playoff appearance this year.

Milroe made the announcement Thursday on the «The Next Round» show. His father, Quentin Milroe, also told ESPN that his son is «focused on finishing this year» but that he told his parents he wants to return to Alabama for his senior season.

Milroe will graduate Saturday with a degree in business administration and minor in entrepreneurship, and he's been on campus only since January 2021 when he enrolled early as a freshman. His parents, Quentin and Lola Milroe, will be in Tuscaloosa for the graduation ceremonies. They have never missed one of Jalen's games or scrimmages at Alabama.

«We're so excited and proud of him for staying focused,» Quentin Milroe said. «He set goals for himself, and I'm amazed at how he has managed it all.»

Milroe, a redshirt sophomore in eligibility, finished sixth this season in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was benched in Week 3 against South Florida after throwing two interceptions in the loss to Texas but returned to the lineup to lead Alabama to 11 straight wins. During that streak, he accounted for 28 touchdowns and turned the ball over just five times. He ranks third among Power 5 quarterbacks in passer rating (177.5), and Milroe and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel are the only two Power 5 quarterbacks with 12 rushing touchdowns.

«We wouldn't be here without his transformation,» Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN last month when discussing Milroe's development.

Alabama faces Michigan on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl presented by Prudential.