Alabama’s starting quarterback Jalen Hurts ended last season on the sidelines, as he watched his backup throw the game-winning walk-off touchdown in overtime of the NCAA national championship game.
Bama won 26-23 on the back of freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who came in for Hurts in the second half of the game.
Head coach Nick Saban is now in the impossible decision of having two great quarterbacks but knowing that picking one will likely result in losing the other.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Hurts’ dad said, “I told Jalen, you f–ked up, you opened the door and put yourself in this situation.”
Hurts has two more years of college eligibility. His first year, Hurts led Bama to the national championship, and it took an improbable and historic performance from DeShaun Watson, now on the Houston Texans, to beat the Tide.
In Hurts’ second season, he once again led Alabama to the national championship, but this time his team won while he was on the bench.
Two national championship appearances should be enough to warrant a starting quarterback position at any university in the country, but it might not be enough in Alabama’s crowded backfield.
An unnamed SEC coach said in the same BR article, “Don’t kid yourself — every single one of us would love to be in Nick’s situation.But that’s a tough spot. You know what Jalen gives you. You’ve seen him go through the wars. But Tua, boy, that’s a talent right there. He looks like one of those ‘hey, these dudes only come along every so often’ type of player.”
If Tagovailoa wins Bama’s starting job, Hurts will become the most sought-after quarterback transfer in recent memory. He could conceivably go to almost any football program and immediately supplant whoever was the starter.
It’s hard to believe, but Hurts taking Alabama to two consecutive national championships might not be enough for him to retain the starting quarterback position.