“The competition is always going to be there, and yeah someone had to take the first reps today with the ones. We lined up and we referred to them as that, and Jalen did.”

DeBoer added: “He’s putting everything into it he can along with the other guys who took those first reps. I fully expect those guys who are really hungry to be pushing those guys who are ahead of them to be their best, and that’s what you want in a football program. That’s certainly going to be the case here with so many good football players here on the football field.”

Milroe returns to Alabama after playing as the No. 1 most of last season except for the USF game. He accounted for 23 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores while earning second-team All SEC honors, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff as SEC champions.

His competition this spring not only includes former 5-star recruit Ty Simpson, but also Dylan Lonergan and former Washington transfer Austin Mack, who originally pledged to DeBoer and the Huskies.