Alabama Crimson Tide fans are anxiously awaiting Tua Tagovailoa’s draft decision but Nick Saban’s team can win with Mac Jones if Tua does leave.
The shadow of Tua Tagovailoa was cast over the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday as the Alabama Crimson Tide ran past the Michigan Wolverines. Not only was the thought that the injured starting quarterback would’ve been able to do better than the 35-16 final score but the broadcast also incessantly mentioned Tagovailoa, specifically the decision he must make regarding his future.
In the simplest terms, Tua was a surefire top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft prior to his devastating season-ending hip injury. And while he’s still likely to be a first-round pick, his NFL future is much less certain, thus increasing the likelihood he could return to Tuscaloosa to lead Alabama football for one more season. However, he’s yet to officially make his choice yet.
But what we saw in the Citrus Bowl confirmed something about the Crimson Tide fans should feel confident in. Whether it’s Tagovailoa or Mac Jones, Alabama can still compete at the highest level.
Make no mistake, Tua is a superior player to Jones. The offense is far more dynamic, explosive and consistent with Tagovailoa as the signal-caller. However, after going 16-of-25 for 327 yards and three touchdowns (with no turnovers) against Michigan, Jones put forth another impressive effort to his credit.
Jones’ three starts for Bama at the end of this season in the wake of Tua’s injury have resulted in the following stat-line, courtesy of Bryan Fischer of College Football Talk and Athlon Sports:
Mac Jones in three games as a starter: 52/76 (68%), 937 yds, 10 TDs/2 INT.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) January 1, 2020
While one of those games was against Western Carolina and another came in an Iron Bowl loss against Auburn — in addition to his two interceptions both being returned for touchdowns by the rival Tigers — that’s still impressive work from a quarterback playing against a high level of competition in two of those outings with little to no experience under his belt.
Furthermore, the Crimson Tide will continue to have top-tier talent around Jones should Tagovailoa decide to depart for the NFL. While Jerry Jeudy is likely gone, it’s looking increasingly likely DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III and Najee Harris could return to school. And with linebacker Dylan Moses (who missed 2019 with a torn ACL) coming back for 2020, that gives the Tide a dangerously talented overall roster.
Are the Alabama Crimson Tide going to be better if Tua comes back and is the starting quarterback? Clearly that’s the case. As well as Jones played, he’s not a top-10 caliber NFL talent. However, the sophomore has shown he can lead Nick Saban’s team and have success.
Given the full confidence of the coaching staff, the right group of weapons around him and a full offseason working as the QB1 in the offense on top of the experience he gained at the end of 2019, Jones can lead Alabama back to the National Championship Game.
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