The Maturation of Jalen Hurts
The daunting task of developing a new quarterback is no new obstacle to Nick Saban and his coaching staff at Alabama. Developing the likes of Greg McElroy and Blake Sims into field-generals fit to play in the best defensive conference in the nation was a difficult process. Although it seemed almost impossible to have first-year starters carry your team to a national championship, Saban once again proved all the doubters wrong.
One common denominator in all these second team signal callers-turned-heroes was maturity. A.J. McCarron, a redshirt sophomore, was the youngest quarterback to start for Saban. McCarron was publicly admonished by Saban during his redshirt freshmen season when he nonchalantly threw a ball up for grabs in mop-up duty against Mississippi State. Fast-forward five years, and a few national championships later, and meet Jalen Hurts. The 6-2, 209 pound freshmen quarterback from Channelview, Texas has become the first true freshmen to start for the Tide since 1984. Sure he fits the mold for the perfect quarterback in today’s spread offenses. Sure he is one of the strongest quarterbacks in the nation, but he is still an 18 year-old leading the Tide in the midst of one of the greatest dynasties in college football history.
Scouting Success
Hurts instantly made an impact when he enrolled early in University of Alabama. Facing the daunting task of mimicking Deshaun Watson to prepare Alabama’s defense for the national championship, he gained instant praise from the defense for his athletic ability. Reggie Ragland told Yahoo Sports, “He’s quick and fast just like Deshaun is, so he gave us a great look the whole time he was at practice.” The early arrival onto the scene in Tuscaloosa helped put Hurts on the map to compete for the starting job going into the 2016 season.
The Hurts Era Begins
As spring trickled by, Saban continued to praise Hurts for his dynamic ability. Many reps and spring scrimmages later, the battle was down to Hurts and redshirt freshmen Blake Barnett. A trip to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX to face the USC Trojans would provide Hurts an opportunity to showcase his skills. Barnett got the nod to start, but was replaced by Hurts on the third drive. Hurts would pick up his first collegiate touchdown hitting Ardarius Stewart on a 39-yard pass with 7:46 left in the first half. He had a look of calmness in his face even though he was playing in his first college game on national television against the 20th-ranked Trojans. Hurts would finish with 150 total yards and three touchdowns. He wrapped up the starting job the next week with 287 yards and two TDs against Western Kentucky.
There was no doubt who the starter in Tuscaloosa was at this point.
An Early Test
Then came the date with Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. The Rebels were the only team to defeat Alabama for the past two regular seasons. Early in the game it seemed as if the Tide would receive a third straight loss. The Rebels offense was clicking. Hurts took a tough shot late in the second quarter, fumbled the ball, and it was returned for a touchdown. That gave Ole Miss a 24-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Instead of crashing and burning like a typical freshman in his first SEC road start, Hurts lead the Tide offense down the field to pull within two scores. A late Eddie Jackson punt return would cut the lead to seven at halftime. Hurts led the Bama offense in the second half to complete the comeback.
Jalen Hurts.
20 Yards. Untouched. @AlabamaFTBL 7-0 early. https://t.co/sXHHvOKDwI #KENTvsBAMA pic.twitter.com/mQizRdQiVn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 24, 2016
Still Room To Grow
Hurts proved he is not your typical freshman quarterback. He finished the game with 158 yards passing and 146 on the ground, becoming the first Alabama quarterback since Tyler Watts in 2001 to have 100 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a game. While his passing numbers in the Ole Miss game aren’t impressive, he did what his team needed him to do. Hurts’ ability to understand his role within the Tide’s offensive system, and his ability to further open up a seemingly endless running attack, is another example of his on-field maturity. Alabama has rarely depended on a quarterback to win their games, and it’s no different this season.
Managing the offense, providing another rushing option, and doing just enough in the passing game will likely get Alabama back to College Football Playoff for a third straight year. Hurts’ most important contribution at quarterback isn’t his arm, nor his legs. It’s his incredible maturity and his intelligence. Although his athletic ability obviously doesn’t hurt.
Although it’s to early to be certain, it appears that Alabama’s offense is in good hands for the foreseeable future.
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