Alabama Football: Ranking Alabama starting quarterbacks under Nick Saban
By Ronald Moody
No. 4 – Jalen Hurts
The explosive dual-threat quarterback was the SEC Offensive Player of the year as a true freshman. Jalen Hurts’ breathtaking playmaking ability was always on display, starting from the time he stepped on campus.
Hurts beat out Blake Barnett for the starting job after Alabama’s first game. He was 240 of 382 for 2,780 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Additionally, he added 954 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Hurts’ dynamic play led Alabama football to an SEC Championship win and a national championship rematch against the Clemson Tigers. His last play in the CFP game against Clemson in 2016 was a hard-nosed 30-yard scramble for the go-ahead touchdown.
His sophomore season, he completed 154 passes for 2,081 yards with 17 touchdowns and one interception. Coupled with 855 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, Hurts led the Tide to another College Football Playoff championship game.
Jalen lost the starting nod to Tua his junior season but provided extraordinary relief, especially in the SEC Championship game versus Georgia, leading the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory.
.@JalenHurts’ redemption in @AlabamaFTBL’s win over Georgia in the 2018 SEC Championship was one of the most remarkable stories we’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/dec3ttMj8w
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 16, 2020
Hurts was the consummate professional and teammate. His Alabama career numbers were 5,626 passing yards with 71 touchdowns (23 rushing) and 12 interceptions. In his only season at Oklahoma, he finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind Joe Burrow.