Tua Tagovailoa extending lead in Alabama quarterback race
As the quarterback competition at Alabama gets going, Tua Tagovailoa is already being tabbed as the favorite.
At halftime of last year’s national title game against Georgia, true freshman Tua Tagovailoa took over for Jalen Hurts and led Alabama to a win. A quarterback competition has loomed since, with transfer rumors and head coach Nick Saban saying someone has to “win the team.”
Hurts spoke critically of how the competition is being handled earlier this month, which Saban eventually dismissed as rhetoric. Just under three weeks before the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Louisville, the competition for the starting job has a long way to go. Barring an injury Saban won’t make a decision until he has to, possibly right up to kickoff on Sept. 1.
But early indications are pointing toward an emerging favorite.
After Alabama’s scrimmage on Saturday, despite media not being allowed in, Matt Zenitz of AL.com wrote about Tagovailoa building momentum in the competition for the starting job. Zenith specifically passed along “word” that Tagovailoa threw three touchdowns without an interception, while Hurts had the opposite line.
Former Alabama defensive back Will Lowery was at the scrimmage, and he tweeted about Tagovailoa’s separation from Hurts in the competition.
Disclaimer: this is the first scrimmage of camp, and the only practice I’ve seen. But from what I watched today, I’ll be shocked if Tua isn’t day 1 starter, and it isn’t close. Don’t expect an announcement prior to opening kickoff tho..
— Will Lowery (@jwlowery29) August 11, 2018
A reporter’s second-hand account of what happened at Alabama’s scrimmage has to be kept in the right perspective. Lowery, if he was the source, acknowledged it was the only practice he has seen thus far. It was also the first of two scrimmages there will be during Alabama’s fall camp.
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Saban will surely be asked about this report Tagovailoa is emerging as the favorite to win the starting job. A terse answer is also sure to come, with an indication of how there’s still a lot of time for it to be decided. Saban may also completely dismiss the report since the media wasn’t allowed at Saturday’s scrimmage.