Urban Meyer lists three ways Jalen Milroe can improve as Alabama quarterback

Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff airs live from Madison, Wisconsin, site of Saturday’s matchup between Alabama and Wisconsin.

That’s why Fox Sports analyst Urban Meyer made Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe the subject of his “Urban’s Playbook” segment. With the help of fellow panelists Mark Ingram, Matt Leinart and Joel Klatt, the former Florida and Ohio State head coach listed three ways Milroe could improve as a quarterback.

“First of all, he has to become a field general,” Meyer said. “That means he has to be able to control plays, not always look to the sideline. He has to establish foot protection; it didn’t always seem like he did that last week.

“Second, he has to trust the pocket. Great athletes have a tendency to get out of the pocket because they’ve done that their whole career. They feel pressure. They have to step forward in time to take a hit, but turn the ball over… Last week, he struggled in this book. He feels pressure coming from his left and instead of sliding and stepping forward, he gets into trouble. He has to get it off his feet, which is the second thing in his progression to the fourth. He has to go 1-2-3 and then run.

“… The third point is — as you develop a quarterback, I think it’s the most important — learning to go through a 1-2-3, sometimes 4 progression and the art of the check down. You have a great athlete (as a running back), give him the ball… Control the ball, live to see another day. Get the first down.”

Meyer added that he thought those goals were easily attainable for Milroe under the tutelage of first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, who taught former Washington quarterback Michael Penix “to be one of the best, most efficient throwers in college football.” Meyer also compared Milroe athletically to one of his biggest stars at Florida in the late 2000s.

“Milroe is transitioning from a running quarterback who relies primarily on his feet to a complete quarterback,” Meyer added. “Last year, he was benched and then he became the SEC championship player. … I thought he was a Percy Harvin playing quarterback. He’s certainly one of the top five athletes in college football.”

Ingram was even more succinct, saying Milroe was the kind of player you might see in a video game.

“When I watch him play, that’s what I would like a ‘star player’ to be at NCAA 25,” Ingram said. “He’s a real player.”

Here is the video of the complete segment: