The AJ McCarron comparison has officially started.
After throwing his second touchdown pass of the game, a freshman donning No. 10 ran downfield, celebrated with teammates and jumped on the shoulders of a teammate in sheer excitement.
It may not be the same as McCarron jumping into the arms of Alabama football coach Nick Saban or his fist pumping after a score, but Mac Jones gave his best impersonation.
In a matchup that junior quarterback Jalen Hurts need a strong outing, it was Jones that stole the hearts of fans, teammates and coaches on Saturday. With Tua Tagovailoa out (thumb), Jones bested Hurts in completions (23-19), completion percentage, yards (289-195) and touchdowns.
Hailing from Jacksonville, Fla., the four-star hit on 23 of 35 attempts – 66 percent – including three passes of 20-plus yards to Xavian Marks, Kedrick James and Chadarius Townsend.
While Jones’ first score came in the second quarter, his final one came after cornerback Trevon Diggs intercepted Hurts in the fourth quarter. During the ensuing possession, Jones fired a 46-yard strike to Marks for a touchdown – delivering Crimson to a 24-12 victory over White.
Saban spoke on his competitiveness and improvement throughout spring practice, however, seeing Jones put things together in front of fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium must’ve been nice.
“Mac Jones is a real-life leader,” Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses said. “He can really carry a team and the thing with Mac is that he’s really funny, he’s lively and his personality is great.”
Despite most people itching to hear what Saban said to Hurts (when his microphone was hot), Moses was not the only defensive player signing Jones’ praises.
“Mac Jones did a very good job today,” Tide safety Deionte Thompson said.
“We told him in the locker room that we were going to be depending on him huge in this game. I wasn’t trying to eat no pork ‘n’ beans, so he did a good job on that part. I am proud of him.”
Though he’s the No. 3 guy in a room where most fans have an idea on who should assume the starting job, it’s fun to watch an underrated player have success in a spring game.
“It was fun seeing that kid throw the ball,” Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis said on Jones’ performance. “He made some great plays that put us in the game. He did great today.”
For his efforts, Jones was awarded the Dixie Howell Most Valuable Player Award – which he shared with placekicker Joseph Bulovas. Prior to Alabama, Jones led The Bolles School to a 4A state championship during his senior year in 2016. His winning mentality propelled him to Tuscaloosa and it could make him the No. 2 quarterback, should things shake up in the summer.
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 @CoachingMSmith.
