A lot has been made about Alabama quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and the quarterback battle with title game star, Tua Tagovailoa. Headlines were made this week after his father had a sit down with Matt Hayes of Bleacher Report, and was quoted saying that if Hurts was not the starting quarterback by Fall, he would be the ‘biggest free agent in college football history.’
With Tagovailoa looking like a future star, and Hurts’ well-documented struggles as a passer, few believe that Jalen will be on the top of the depth chart barring injury. That said, Hurts’ 26-2 record as a starter, and undeniable athleticism, would make him a hot commodity in the college football free agency pool.
Instead of spending the year as a backup in Tuscaloosa, he would be forced to miss an entire season should he transfer. While that is less than ideal for the rising junior, it could help his career in the long run. The pressure of playing under Nick Saban, combined with the pressure from the fans to win championships, is not the healthiest environment for anyone with a need for long-term improvement.
What Jalen Hurts needs to become a better passer, Alabama likely cannot give him. Hurts needs opportunities to read defenses and take chances, which means making mistakes. While Tagovailoa is more naturally gifted as a quarterback, Hurts’ gifts are centered around his superior athleticism, meaning he needs more time to grow his pass throwing skills. Nick Saban and company never seemed to fully trust Jalen Hurts the quarterback, and his opportunities to grow in the pocket were limited because of it.
This, of course, does not mean that Hurts does not have the ability to be more than an option quarterback, but that he may need to seek out a system that will allow him the time to grow, allow him to make mistakes, and allow him to drop back and actually read defenses without all of the pressure to win every play.
Anyone and everyone associated with Alabama football will have nothing but positives to say about Hurts’ athleticism and leadership ability, and many would also be quick to highlight his strong arm. Yet, you ask them about his weaknesses and the answers are all the same: being a true, pass-first quarterback. Saban’s offenses have been founded on ball security and limiting turnovers. That system has leaked, perhaps too far, into Hurts’ game in that he is a ball protector first, runner second, and passer third – not an applicable set of traits for a true D-1 quarterback.
Former Florida Gators’ quarterback, Jeff Driskel, had a similar career arc. His first year as the starter he threw for 12 touchdowns and just five interceptions, earning himself his own fair share of hype as the future in Gainesville. This proved unsustainable for Driskel as he would go on to throw 11 TD’s and 13 INT’s over the next two seasons. Then, he left the Swamp for C-USA’s Louisiana Tech. There he had the best season of his entire college career, throwing for over 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions.
Should Hurts, in fact, choose to move on from Tuscaloosa, he could see a similar career arc to Driskel, and do so with an extra year to spare. Of course, everything at this point is just speculation; Tagovailoa is out for the spring with a hand injury leaving Hurts as the de facto starter until further notice. Should the Hawaii-native not see the field again till Fall, the aforementioned quarterback battle may be put on hold and force Hurts into either toughing it out, or leaving during the season. Either way, it is something certainly worthy of keeping an eye one, and nobody wishes Hurts anything but the absolute greatest.
