Nick Saban responds to article on potential Jalen Hurts transfer
An Alabama quarterback was in the headlines Thursday.
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- An Alabama quarterback was in the headlines Thursday.
But not because of how he performed on the field or in the form of an injury report.
The father of
Jalen Hurts spoke with
Bleacher Report and shared some thoughts on Hurts’ being replaced by then-freshman
Tua Tagovailoa during the national championship game and what would happen if he continued to watch his teammate from the sideline.
With that headline leading the college football discussion Thursday, Crimson Tide head coach
Nick Saban was asked about it following Alabama’s 14th practice session of the spring.
“I had a meeting with Jalen’s dad on Saturday after the scrimmage, and it was a very positive meeting,” Saban said in a press conference. “I think we all want the same thing for all players that compete on our team, regardless of the position. And even though there’s going to be a significant effort on a lot of folks’ part -- none in this room, obviously -- but want to make this a very public thing, but it’s going to be handled in a very private manner, aight.
“And in conversation, I was very positive and upbeat. Jalen has done a great job. He’s made a significant amount of improvement. His dad was very positive. But I think at the end of the day, everybody has career decisions that they’ll have to make. Nobody knows what the outcome of this situation is going to bring for us. We don’t want any players, aight, not to be able to fulfill their goals and aspirations in our program here. We don’t want that for any of our players.
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“And Jalen’s dad has always been very, very positive and supportive in every conversation that I had. So, I’m not really concerned about what somebody else chose to write because I’m going to always sort of use the personal communication that I have with our player, Jalen, and his family when necessary. And I have a lot of trust and respect for those folks, and I don’t think there’s an issue or problem from my standpoint.”
Averion Hurts told Bleacher Report’s Matt Hayes that he told his son “you f--ked up, you opened the door and put yourself in this situation. Now it’s up to you to dig yourself out.”
Hurts entered the spring in a competition with Tagovailoa for Alabama’s starting job behind center. The former started the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Georgia but was pulled in favor of the latter in the title game’s second half.
Tagovailoa led the Tide to a come-from-behind victory in overtime, claiming the program’s fifth championship in nine seasons, and many believed he would secure the starting spot this spring. An injury to his throwing hand on the first day of spring, however, has put that on hold as the sophomore has been ruled out for Saturday’s A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Now, Hurts is one of two scholarship quarterbacks available for the spring game and will have an opportunity to prove his coach and teammates right in
their comments of his progression. But if he doesn’t or Tagovailoa bests him in the offseason, according to the Thursday article, the Houston native will become “the biggest free agent in college football history.”
"Coach Saban's job is to do what's best for his team. I have no problem with that," Averion Hurts said. "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…"
Averion stops mid-sentence because the idea of his son not playing for Alabama isn't one he takes lightly. What if Jalen doesn't win the job, he is asked?
He shakes his head slowly, answers begrudgingly. "Well, he'd be the biggest free agent in college football history."
Starting all 14 games in his second season in Tuscaloosa, Hurts ranked third in the SEC in total offensive yards (2,936) and ninth in total offense per game at 209.7 as a sophomore in 2017. He completed 60.4 percent of his passes (154-of-255) for 2,081 yards and 17 touchdowns with only one interception and rushed a team-high 154 times for 855 yards with eight touchdowns.
Hurts will likely lead the Crimson Tide’s first-team offense in the final of fifteen spring practices this weekend. Alabama’s A-Day Game will air at 1 p.m. CT and be televised on ESPN.