With the lack of football going on right now, yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine is preparing a series of top five all-time at each position for Alabama in the Nick Saban era.
The Crimson Tide has had a lot of terrific student-athletes in its five national championship seasons, but we pick out the very best here.
Let’s start with the quarterbacks.
5. Jalen Hurts
One would be hard-pressed to find a better leader than what Alabama had in Jalen Hurts from 2016 to 2018. A native of Channelview, Texas, he led the Crimson Tide to two College Football Playoff National Champion matchups and nearly won one as a freshman. He may not have had the greatest mechanics; however, Hurts’ competitive spirit and determination shined brightly.
He won Freshman of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year from the Southeastern Conference in 2016, following a season where he totaled 2,780 passing yards, 954 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns (then school record) to nine interceptions.
Despite many people bestowing the credit on defense for the 2016 team, Hurts had a huge role in leading it to an SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff. If not for a stellar drive from Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers to win the game, Hurts would have been the first true freshman since Jamelle Holieway (1985, Oklahoma) to his team to a national championship in his first season.
He threw just one interception all year in 2017, but the Crimson Tide went a different direction for the biggest matchup of the season. Hurts was benched for Tua Tagovailoa (then freshman) and while he was disappointed, he never openly complained about it. He watched Tagovailoa not only torched Georgia and rescue Alabama to a national title, but he also witnessed the native Hawaiian win the starting job at quarterback in 2018 and supported him through the process.
As a backup, Hurts earned his finest moment.
He came off the bench in the 2018 SEC Championship Game in the fourth quarter and put together a pair of touchdown drives. Alabama trailed Georgia, 28-21 when Tagovailoa suffered an ankle injury. Hurts’ final score, a 15-yard run, cemented him in Tide history as a legend.
In returning the favor, he lifted the team to a 35-28 win to secure a conference title and send the Crimson Tide back to the CFP for a fifth straight time. Before leaving for Oklahoma, Hurts compiled career stats of 5,626 passing yards (No. 8 all-time), 48 touchdown passes (No. 3 all-time), 7,606 total yards offensively (No. 4 all-time) and 71 total scores (No. 3 all-time).
He ranks in the top-10 in school history for all categories.
4. Jacob Coker
His playing career started at Florida State University, but the Mobile (Ala.) native always dreamed of being a Crimson Tide quarterback.
Jacob Coker got his chance in 2015 during his second season with the Tide. It was a struggle for him at first; however, the Ole Miss game showed fans that Coker was the one for the team.
Even in a 43-37 loss at home, he displayed a champion’s mindset and tried to place Alabama in the best opportunity for a comeback victory.
He constantly thought about perfection; nevertheless, Coker was at his best when he was able to relax and play the game.
He possessed one of college football’s deep balls, and it was such a thing of beauty that it earned a Twitter account. Coker marched Alabama through its regular season schedule – including big wins over Georgia, LSU and Auburn.
He threw a pair of touchdown passes against Florida in the Tide’s 29-15 victory to secure an SEC title.
His best work was saved for the CFP.
Coker torched Michigan State and Clemson, completing 41 of 55 passes for 621 yards with four scores to no interceptions. He led Alabama to a 38-0 demolition of the Spartans and a 45-40 thrilling win over the Tigers, to capture the team’s fourth national title of the Saban era.
Coker ended the campaign with 3,110 yards and 21 touchdowns to eight picks.
3. Blake Sims
He is by far the most underrated quarterback of the Saban era.
One could probably make the argument that Alabama does not pull in Hurts or Tagovailoa, if Blake Sims did not have the success he had.
Sims was the ultimate athlete and team player.
After waiting behind A.J. McCarron, Sims became the starter in 2014 yet not everyone was behind him. Some felt that Coker was easily the better choice, but Sims had the trust of the locker room and coaching staff. He managed the situation well versus West Virginia, Florida Atlantic and Southern Mississippi, but it was Sims’ performance against Florida that started to attract fans to him.
He put on an aerial assault versus a Gators’ secondary that had a first-round cornerback in Vernon Hargreaves III. Sims threw for 445 yards with four touchdowns to one interception.
In him sustaining an injury in the second half, something incredible happened.
As Sims went to the locker room, Coker took the field. The student section at Bryant-Denny Stadium immediately starts chanting “We want Blake, we want Blake!” The senior was winning the crowd over. Regardless of Coker’s lone scoring toss in the game, the place erupted upon Sims’ emergence from the locker room.
Even with a heart-breaking loss to Ole Miss in 2014, Sims led Alabama to marquee wins over Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn. His second half showing in the 55-44 Iron Bowl victory was very impressive at home versus the Tigers.
He propelled the Tide to a SEC Championship win over Missouri and punched its ticket to the first-ever College Football Playoff. Sims’ career at Alabama ended with him boasting the single-season passing record of 3,487 yards. He also held the record for total scores in a season (35), prior to the arrivals of Hurts and Tagovailoa.
2. Tua Tagovailoa
He exposed Alabama fans to something it h never had before: a quarterback that could everything and be entertaining with it. Blake Barnett was the first 5-star signal caller of the Saban era, but Tua Tagovailoa was the first to pan out well.
His family took a leap of faith, in coming from Hawaii to Alabama, but it was worth it. Tagovailoa worked with different coaches on his mechanics as a passer and by the time he arrived in Tuscaloosa, he was a hot commodity.
He threw for 11 touchdowns in nine games as a freshman in 2017 – including three critical scores in the 2018 CFP National Championship contest versus Georgia. Tagovailoa replaced a struggling Jalen Hurts in the second half of the game.
His final touchdown was a 41-yard, game-winning strike to DeVonta Smith that won the matchup in overtime. Rescuing the Tide to a national title would only start his popularity.
During the following season, Tagovailoa won the starting job and showed fans that Alabama football can be flamboyant on offense.
It averaged 45.6 points per game and scored at least 40 points in 10 of 15 games.
Tagovailoa became the fourth 3,000-yard passer (3,966) of the Saban era, while his 43 touchdowns secured him as the single-season leader in both categories as a sophomore.
He finished as the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy and was named a consensus All-American for his efforts. Tagovailoa had high hopes for 2019 with Steve Sarkisian at offensive coordinator; however, injuries to his ankle and right hip prevented him from winning the Heisman and competing for a national championship.
Prior to sustaining a dislocated hip versus Mississippi State, he had 33 scoring tosses to three interceptions. Tagovailoa was still voted a permanent team captain by his peers, due to his excellence on the field and his character as a teammate.
He was on an SEC title team and a national title squad, but Tagovailoa’s career also ended with him being No. 1 all-time for touchdown passes (87) and total scores (96) in Alabama history.
1. A.J. McCarron
He is the accomplished Tide quarterback of all-time.
A.J. McCarron arrived as a “game manager” in 2009, but he left as an All-American, three-time BCS National Champion and a force to be respected. With a passion of wanting to be the best, McCarron shared Saban’s pursuit of perfection. A four-star from Mobile, Ala., he assumed the starting role in 2011 and tallied 2,634 passing yards with 16 touchdowns to five interceptions.
Although the defense did much of the heavy lifting, McCarron saved his response for the rematch between Alabama and LSU in the 2012 title game. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards and established a connection with Kevin Norwood against Tyrann Mathieu.
After defeating the Tigers, McCarron threw for 30 touchdowns in 2012 and guided the Crimson Tide to another national title venue.
He torched the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for four touchdowns and Alabama ran away with the game, 42-14, to earn back-to-back titles.
In 2013, McCarron was ready to do something that had never been done in college football: three-peat as national champions. An insane “Kick 6” loss to Auburn kept the dream from happening, but he did have a 3,000-yard season (3,063) and finished second to Jameis Winston of Florida State in the Heisman voting. McCarron took home both Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards that year and was named an All-American. He stands first all-time in school history for passing yards (9,019) and second to Tua Tagovailoa in touchdown passes (77).
McCarron was the ultimate winner.
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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.
