Jalen Hurts is apparently through with the Alabama Crimson Tide, as the junior entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. That move allows other college football programs to make contact with him about transferring to their university. If not in the transfer portal, talking to a player about transferring is an NCAA violation.
Hurts graduated in December and has one year of eligibility remaining. He will be able to play immediately for whatever school he chooses. He is the third high-profile quarterback to change schools this year. Kelly Bryant, who lost his starting job to freshman Trevor Lawrence, left Clemson and went to Missouri. Georgia’s signal caller Justin Fields left that school and is now at Ohio State.
Oddsmakers have already set lines on where Hurts next school could be. MyBookie has Texas Christian University as the favorite at 4/1. Auburn and Maryland are next at 5/1, with Miami and Houston at 6/1. A longshot that might make sense is Florida Atlantic at 10/1. The Owls’ coach Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator when Hurts was a freshman and the two had success together.
Threats, Then Acceptance
In two seasons as the starter, Hurts threw for a combined 4,861 yards, 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, to go along with 1,809 yards and 21 touchdowns rushing.
Hurts was locked in a battle with Tua Tagovailoa after the junior replaced Hurts in the 2018 College Football Playoff Championship. Hurts started but struggled, and coach Nick Saban went with Tagovailoa, who led the Crimson Tide to a 26-23 overtime victory over Georgia.
When Spring practice began Saban was noncommittal about who had the edge to become the starter. When it looked like Tagovailoa was going to get the job, Hurts’ father threatened to pull his son.
“Coach Saban’s job is to do what’s best for his team. I have no problem with that,” Averion Hurts said in April. “My job is to do what’s best for Jalen — and make no mistake, Jalen is a quarterback, and he wants to play quarterback. He loves Alabama, loves Coach Saban and everything about that place. But he wants to play, and he will play.”
Still when the season began Hurts was on the bench as Tagovailoa’s backup. He did manage to see considerable time on the field, though. He played in every game except two and completed 51 of 70 passes for 765 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions as the backup. He also rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
Rumors Grow Louder
By the end of the regular season, though, talk of Hurts going to another program were getting more persistent. To his credit the Houston native never talked about his future, something Saban appreciated.
“I’ve probably never been more proud of a player than Jalen,” Saban said. “It’s unprecedented to have a guy that won as many games as he did and then all of a sudden, he’s not the quarterback. How do you manage that? How do you handle that? You’ve got to have a tremendous amount of character and class to put team first, knowing your situation is not what it used to be. And for a guy that’s a great competitor, that takes a lot. It’s not easy to do.”
Even when pressed at the CFP semifinal game against Oklahoma, Hurts would not talk about transferring.
“I’ve been counted out,” Hurts said. “I was supposed to do this, I was supposed to do that. Even last year after the [championship] game, I was supposed to be gone. This year, I was supposed to redshirt and do all those things. But I’m here. I’m here for this team, and that’s what is most important to me.”\