The University of Alabama was the powerhouse institution, in terms of championships, of all five major athletic venues with four national titles. Nick Saban looks to continue this run at head coach, starting with a return to the mountaintop in 2020.
In this installment of “Top Five” at each position, Touchdown Alabama Magazine is doing a series in ranking the five best players of this decade.
Up next is the quarterbacks.
5. Blake Sims
If you were to look up examples of perseverance, Blake Sims name would surely pop up. Originally arriving in Tuscaloosa as a running back, Sims was quickly transitioned to quarterback where he would have to wait his turn in order to see the field. Even when the Crimson Tide acquired former Florida State quarterback Jake Coker, the Gainsville, GA native was anything but fazed. He won the job and went on to etch his name into the record books. In his lone season as a starter under first-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, Sims passed for 28 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 3,487 yards. Sims was also the first Alabama quarterback to play in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State. Alabama would inevitably fall to the Buckeyes but Sims was a key piece in even getting to the game.
4. Jake Coker
After coming to Tuscaloosa after spending the better part of his career as a backup to Jameis Winston, Jake Coker was another case of a quarterback who had to prove himself. Through the first two games of the 2015-16 season, Coker was far from a penciled-in starter. But his performance in a home loss to Ole Miss where he did not start the game seemed to be a bit of a turning point for Coker. Following that game, Coker helped lead the Crimson Tide back to the college football playoff where things would go much differently. His improvement over the season was noticeable and showed during the national championship game against Clemson. Coker completed 16/25 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-40 victory.
3. Jalen Hurts
Other than Saban himself, Jalen Hurts may be the most beloved players to walk the sidelines of Bryant-Denny Stadium in recent memory. After becoming the first freshman starting quarterback in the Saban era and leading Alabama to back to back national championship games, Hurts was well on his way to becoming one of the more decorated players in the school’s history. But everybody knows the story behind him losing his job at halftime of the championship game and for the next season to Tua Tagovailoa. At that moment he could have packed his bags and left right then and there, but Hurts stuck it out for another season which proved to work wonders for his storied career. He would go on to have one last big moment for Alabama, leading the team to victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship game and cementing himself as an Alabama legend.
2. AJ McCarron
When talking about who should be on the Mount Rushmore of Alabama players from the Nick Saban era you can not go too deep into the conversation before McCarron’s name is brought up. The most decorated player this decade when it comes to national championships, McCarron was the ignitor to Saban’s dynasty at Alabama. He won back to back BCS National Championships until recently he held nearly every major passing record for the Crimson Tide and he had a career record of 46-7 as a starter. Throughout his storied career, McCarron made a bevy of memories for Alabama fans. Whether it’s his star-making performance against LSU in the championship game, jumping into Saban’s arms, winning the Maxwell Player of the Year and leading another comeback against the Tigers.
1. Tua Tagovailoa
There really isn’t too much of an argument against Tagovailoa being the best quarterback of the decade. He doesn’t have the same amount of championships as McCarron, but his talent at the position can not be matched by the others. After winning the College Football Playoff National Championship Tagovailoa was immediately seen as a star. Saban has never a quarterback like Tagovailoa this decade and the University of Alabama has likely not seen one like him either. Other than his infectious personality, there is a lot to marvel at about the southpaw. He makes every throw on the field and can even generate plays with his legs when things go wrong. This has helped him capture single-season and career touchdown records at Alabama in a shorter period of time when compared to the other quarterbacks. Tagovailoa may be the first Crimson Tide quarterback taken in the first round since Richard Todd in 1976. If that isn’t enough evidence for him being the best quarterback of the decade then I’m not sure I can help you
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
