Jalen Hurts has not said he’s transferring, but he should think about it
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has not directly said he’s transferring, but the idea can’t be totally off his radar.
Back in April, Jalen Hurts’ father started a stir by suggesting his son would transfer from Alabama if he was not the starting quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa went on to win the starting job, with Hurts shifting to a backup role and playing the good soldier as his decision to transfer was assumed to loom.
A new NCAA rule this year allows players to play up to four games and still be able to be redshirted. For Hurts, that opened up the idea he would have two years of eligibility left once he inevitably transferred. But he played in five games before September was even over, and heading into Saturday’s Orange Bowl against Oklahoma Hurts has played in 11 games this season.
On Thursday, Hurts addressed his future at Alabama and the lingering rumors he’ll transfer at season’s end.
"I’ve never said anything about transferring. Those words have never come out of my mouth. Those are always kind of assumptions. If I haven’t spoken about it, I don’t think it’s the conversation to be had."
Hurts is being truthful that he’s never said anything specific about transferring, as his dad started the rumors last spring. But he was critical of how Nick Saban was handling the quarterback competition very early back in August, which fueled the transfer speculation even more.
Hurts had a shining moment against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, leading the Crimson Tide to a comeback win after Tagovailoa suffered an ankle injury. Tagovailoa has acknowledged he won’t quite be 100 percent for Saturday night’s game after undergoing surgery, and while he seems sure to start, any setbacks will open the door for Hurts to play.
Hurts is 26-2 as Alabama’s starting quarterback, with two national title game starts on his resume as we speak. So he’s going to highly sought after as a grad transfer, if he opens that door officially.
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Hurts was sure to cite he has not said anything about transferring, while expressing the expected commitment to his teammates ahead of the season’s biggest game(s). But he seemed to stop short of an outright denial he’ll leave Alabama, and a clearer opportunity to start elsewhere in 2019 has to have appeal.