He endured all emotions that come with being the starting quarterback for the University of Alabama, and for AJ McCarron, he took it all in stride.
Whether you loved him or hated him, his career flourished with a school record of 9,019 career passing yards and 77 touchdown passes.
A native of Mobile, Ala., McCarron was 36-4 as a starter – a mark that included two BCS national championships (2009, redshirted and won), two Southeastern Conference titles, both a Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and first-team All-American honors.
His calm demeanor, ability to manage the game and consistent growth made him a fan favorite on campus, and according to a report from Tuscaloosa News, he sees greatness in Jalen Hurts.
“He’s excellent,” McCarron said of Hurts. “He’s young, but he’s played great. I think he’s done what they have asked. He’s only going to get better, that’s usually how it works whenever you start playing. I’m excited for him. He’s a really good dude.”
Seeing that this is homecoming weekend and the Bengals are on a bye, McCarron is back in Tuscaloosa to spend time with old coaches and meet current players. Per the article, the fifth-round pick of the 2014 NFL Draft expects to spend time with all the Tide’s quarterbacks soon.
Last season, Hurts became the first true freshman since Vince Sutton (1984) to earn the starting job. After beating out Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell, the native Texan guided Alabama to an undefeated regular season, a victory over Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal and a National Championship appearance versus Clemson.
Despite falling short, he earned the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year.
He’s won 19 of 20 games as the primary signal caller, but Hurts’ mind has been locked on returning to the playoff and finishing the job ever since spring practice.
Contrary to the talk of little to no improvement in the passing game, Hurts hasn’t thrown an interception through six matchups (two picks around this time in 2016). His completion percentage is similar to last season at 63.1 percent (64% in 2016), which is decent for quarterbacks.
The lone reason why there’s a difference of 381 passing yards – 1,242 to 870 – between this season and last year is the Crimson Tide had Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and O.J. Howard consistently grabbing throws from Hurts.
Also, receiver Gehrig Dieter brought in 15 passes for 214 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Hurts is making small improvements, but if he can start releasing the ball upon seeing an open man, he’ll grow more comfortable.
He carries a streak of 191 passes without a pick into Saturday’s game versus Arkansas.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
