Although he is not the favorite to win the starting job at quarterback for the University of Alabama, there are some national media pundits that still believe in Jalen Hurts.
He was a preseason candidate for the Maxwell Award on Monday and has followed it with the Davey O’Brien Foundation named him as one of its 26 candidates for the national quarterback award. In today’s release of the list, Hurts represents the Southeastern Conference alongside Nick Fitzgerald of Mississippi State, Jake Fromm of Georgia, Drew Lock of Missouri and Jarrett Stidham of Auburn.
The native Texan has been twice named a semifinalist for the honor.
Despite encountering struggles during the middle portion of 2017, Hurts managed to throw just one interception to 17 touchdown passes. He accounted for 2,081 passing yards, 855 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns – helping Alabama get back to a national title matchup.
While he continues to get stronger in the weight room, the hope for Crimson Tide fans is that he’s improved his entire craft.
Dan Enos, Alabama’s first-year quarterbacks coach, expects to not only generate consistency in Hurts’ mechanics, but he also intends for his signal caller to be the toughest player mentally on offense. A tough challenge lies ahead in trying to fend off a highly-gifted player in Tua Tagovailoa, however, the junior is known for his competitive nature.
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.
