It has been a long and difficult roller coaster ride for Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts. He started out easily winning the starting the quarterback position in 2016 after competing with Blake Barnett and Cooper Bateman. He then took the Tide to two straight national championship games and accounted for a 26-2 record as a starter. Now there is a legitimate question about his future in Tuscaloosa. Will Jalen Hurts Finish 2018 Season With Alabama? Tua Tagovailoa took over in the 2nd half of last season’s National Championship and beat the Georgia Bulldogs, overshadowing Hurts in the process. Since then, Hurts has been unable able to overcome the high-praise of Tagovailoa and has been stuck in limbo.
Will Jalen Hurts Finish 2018 Season With Alabama?
Alabama fans, players, and coaches ultimately wanted a high-velocity and highly efficient quarterback in Tagovailoa. Hurts never exceeded traits and expectations of a dominant passing quarterback. Despite this, Jalen Hurts will finish 2018 College Football season with Alabama despite becoming a backup. High profile Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant announced his transfer earlier this week after losing his starting job.
The problem isn’t what Hurts brings to the table. It is what he doesn’t bring compared to Tagovailoa. Before Tagovailoa took over the starting position this season, the Tide were a run dominate offense. Last season, the Alabama was ranked 29th in the nation in total yards per game (444). They were also ranked 13th in rushing yards per game (250.6) and 91st in passing yards per game (193.4). After a remarkable freshman season in 2016, many were expecting Hurts to excel as a passer and a runner. Last season showed that Hurts was limited on his lack of arm strength and passing progressions. Overall, Alabama was blown away by Tagovailoa and the incredible elite talent that he is already displaying.
Roads Taken By Hurts And Bryant
So far this season, the Tide are ranked 10th in total offense (540 total yards) and 3rd in points per game (53.8) with Tagovailoa at the helm. They are also ranked 13th in the nation in passing yards per game (334.8). Tagovailoa is currently ranked 1st in ESPN’s Heisman Watch with seven out of ten first-place votes. He has taken the college football nation by storm, which unfortunately leaves Hurts on the outside, looking in.
There was talk that Hurts was looking to transfer before the 2018 season because Tagovailoa was by-far the favorite. Hurts was a well-respected teammate, playmaker, and cool-headed person for the Tide for the past two seasons. This off-season was very difficult for Hurts as he could not excel in the Spring and more praise was given to Tagovailoa. Despite the constant position battle, there is much respect publicly exchanged between Hurts and Tagovailoa.
Few would blame Hurts for transferring because of this new NCAA rule that lets players transfer with a redshirt if they have played in only four games or fewer. This far into the fifth week of the season, Hurts doesn’t seem inclined to be transferring. What Hurts is going through is very similar with Clemson Tigers quarterback Kelly Bryant. The Tigers made the decision to start true freshman Trevor Lawrence after their week 4 win at Georgia Tech. Bryant then decided to leave the program. He said he felt he felt disrespected by the coaches who overlooked his input and effort this season. He brought the Tigers to the national championship but became a backup due to a once-in-a-generation passer. Despite how much Jalen was unhappy with the situation, he appears set to stay.
Saban Says He Wants To Play Hurts More
The Crimson Tide’s dynamics have changed so much in three years with three different offensive coordinators. In 2016, Lane Kiffin (now the head coach of Florida Atlantic) inserted a high-velocity, high-power spread offense. Last year, Brian Daboll (now the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills) inserted a run-pass-option style of offense. This season, Josh Gattis and Mike Locksley fit their spread system perfectly around Tagovailoa. With the Tide putting up an average 53.8 points per game, there sets up more time for the backups and for Hurts to come in for garbage time.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban says he wants to play Hurts more because he respects him for sticking with the team. Hurts’ style of play is something that the SEC teams have already dealt with him starting the previous two seasons. If Hurts plays in more than four games this season, he will not be eligible for the new redshirt transfer.
The Tide are ranked 42nd in the nation in rushing yards per game (204.8) because of their highly-efficient passing game. However, it is alarming that the Tide are not as efficient on the ground as they have in the past with the same players. If Hurts on the field, they would be more predictable because of the system set up for him. If the Tide want to put him in for more than giving Tagovailoa rest, they will need to trust his throwing ability. This includes inserting play-actions that can cause disarray against the opposing secondary so he can throw deep. Hurts can be much more than a backup quarterback. He can be an extra weapon in a dangerous Tide offense.
Options For Hurts To Take After This Season
Hurts staying for the season shows the character of his determination to help Alabama win. He may be taking whatever measure is needed in order for his Crimson Tide to win a 3rd national championship in four years. Hurts’ dual-threat athleticism would be a great attribute for many teams if he transferred. Schools that might be able to efficiently include Oklahoma, Florida, Houston, Texas, Miami (FL), Florida Atlantic, or Arizona State. This is if Hurts stays on for the entire 2018 season with Alabama and not transfer before the season is over. Hurts would lose a year eligibility in 2019 for transferring too late.
Tide nation would likely understand if Hurts departed from the program because of the offense’s new philosophy. Hurts doesn’t owe the team or fans anything, just staying with the team shows his determination and appreciation for Alabama.
