In recent years, head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide has been adjusting to playing more like the Oregon Ducks– in the sense of lighting up the scoreboard rather than doing the usual ground and pound with the running backs. Not only that, instead of signing only pro-style quarterbacks, he’s been gearing toward recruiting the dual threats as well. Lets take a look at the Crimson Tide quarterback battle and what they should know about each quarterback:
1.) Jalen Hurts: This guy is ridiculously talented.
Hurts is definitely in a class of his own and could possibly be the best quarterback that Saban has ever coached. Hurts broke numerous records at Alabama and finished a memorable freshman season with 2,780 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and conference champion in 2016. What stood out the most about him was his maturity. When you’re playing for a coach like Saban, leadership is such an important factor.
Hurts definitely plays older than his age.
One can go on and on talking about Hurts, but expect him to come back stronger physically, mentally and competing for a national championship in 2017 as the team is returning seven starters on offense that includes wide receiver, Calvin Ridley and six starters on defense.
2.) Mac Jones: With Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell both gone, this gives Jones a chance to compete for the number two spot against another incoming true freshman quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Since he comes from a pro-style offense, Jones would be a perfect fit for Saban should thrive in Tuscaloosa.
It’s going to be very critical and important that Jones puts on some extra weight (6’2″ and 185 pounds) now that he’s at the collegiate level, and will be playing against high caliber SEC defenses.
As for his arm talent, Mac Jones has a cannon. He keeps his eyes downfield no matter how heavy the pressure gets and he doesn’t try to do too much, which is huge if you’re going to play for Nick Saban. Another great quality about Jones is his ability to plant his feet correctly before releasing. Alabama is a program that doesn’t make too many mistakes offensively, so it’s good for Saban to see that Jones never wants to waste chances.
3.) Tua Tagovailoa: At 6’1″ and 215 pounds, Tagovailoa is ready to compete for a starting job at quarterback.
It’s rare that you hear of talent coming out of Hawaii; however, Tagovailoa is a gem and he is going to give Jalen Hurts a run for his money heading into August. When you watch this guy on tape, one can tell the passion, energy and decision-making skills he exudes with each throw. He goes the the extra mile to stay after practice, making sure his footwork and overall game is fluid. He can run, he can throw and the quarterback battle for the Crimson Tide is going to be an intense, yet exciting to watch as the 2017 regular season approaches.
Opinion: Jalen Hurts had a historic season last year, and it’s hard for me to believe that he will lose the starting job in 2017. I’m going with Hurts to secure the number one spot even though the starting job is up for grabs.
He is already familiar with Saban’s system, what he expects and has proved to Saban that he can lead the Crimson Tide for the next three years. I expect Hurts to improve on all aspects of his game, including decision making, accuracy and learning when to run. I see him being under center against the Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State Seminoles in a heated match-up on Sept. 2 in the season opener.
