Alabama QB competition article

[UAH]

I feel bad for Jalen. I really do. All of this has to hurt him and his pride a bit. He likely has never been in a situation where he wasn't the best on the field up until his time at Alabama. I can see where you could easily start to feel unstoppable and get your hopes way up in terms of what you can accomplish. The reality that this will not happen can understandably be tough to stomach. I doubt he has had to face it before, and he didn't know how to handle it.

All that said, I do think that he needs to remember that Coach Saban has an obligation to more players than just himself. There are, what, 85 players (?) on that team? I have no idea. But Coach Saban has an obligation to every single player on that team to give them the best chance at being successful. From what I can tell, and most of us agree, the team has a better chance with Tua at the helm than with Jalen. Some, myself included, would argue they are likely better off with Mac Jones than Jalen as well. He at least gives the RB's. WR's. TE's a chance to do what they are supposed to do. So, I don't feel too bad if Jalen can't see that his own personal feelings fall behind those of the group as a whole. I sympathize with where he is coming from, but a lot of this falls on him and his father. And I don't mean about the talking to the press. I am referring to taking the easy route of getting into the habit of just out-athleting everyone on the field because you could rather than working on developing into what you need to be.

Very well said. We would feel that for anyone who worked years to accomplish something special and failed at the pinnacle. It happens in just about every walk of life in some fashion. I have the same thought that Jalen's Dad/Coach could have and should have provided him more skills training but my experience is that type of development just doesn't happen very often at the team level. He certainly could have provided him some other position experience to broaden his opportunity for the NFL.

I respect Tua's tremendous potential but am reminded that he was unable to gain experience in the spring. I believe it is unrealistic to expect that Tua would not experience some growing pains and frustrations in a season of SEC competition. CNS understands that for sure and will try to have every QB on the roster prepared to play up to their potential. It is a real balancing act for him and we will see how it turns out.

 

[RammerJammer15]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

There is no "Now what?" and won't be a "Now what?". Fall camp is simply not enough time to form a body of work to outweigh the second half of the title game and what we now know occurred around the aTm game of last season. In that the coaching staff knew that Tua was the better QB and had actually won the team. We (the fans) didn't know until after the title game when that interview came out to confirm a lot of the internet "rumblings" leaking out. But the fact of the matter is the coaches have a larger body of work that Tua is the better quarterback than enough time left for Jalen to completely make them go against that body of work. His best chance was to show out during the spring game and he basically (in my opinion) put the nail in the coffin of his chances to win the job. He showed zero progress or improvement.

So why did Blake Sims end up starting after having an awful spring?

 

[CajunCrimson]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

So why did Blake Sims end up starting after having an awful spring?

Because Coker wasn't ready....

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Because Coker wasn't ready....

I also believe that Sims spent a great deal of time that summer with a passing coach, and the progress was remarkable.

 

[RammerJammer15]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Because Coker wasn't ready....

You're right about that. Look, I know that Tua is going to be the starter, he deserves to be the starter, he's the best QB on the team, but it would suck if Jalen didn't even try to compete for the starting job, that's not the Jalen we all know. Even if he doesn't win it, at least do what Eason did and continue to be a team player.

 

[RedWave]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Stephen A Smith had a pretty strong take on this on ESPN's First Take. I am going to paraphrase it the best I can, because I was too busy laughing while listening to get it all down (Smith being the obnoxious, but funny in this case, personality that he is).

"Saban should communicate with the man. He should sit him down, have their knees touching, look him in the eyes, and say "I am benching you. Not because of anything you said but because I have SERIOUS questions about your ability to throw the football! I am going to let this other brother go do his thing.'" Smith called Jalen's performance in the NCS awful, deplorable, and a few other negative words I can't recall totally. He talked about Jalen being 3 for 8 for 20-something yards in that game and not looking so great.

Now, I think Smith may be a little meaner to one of our boys than most of us would be, but he is right. The issue the others were wanting to talk about was Jalen's comment about communicating. Smith wasn't having any of it. He was like "yep. Communicate with him. Tell him he can't play and the other guy can." He did throw in some Roll Tides in the conversation.

 

[RedWave]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

I also believe that Sims spent a great deal of time that summer with a passing coach, and the progress was remarkable.

Said it several times before. I was fully on the Coker bandwagon and gave Blake no chance at winning that job. I was even upset when he got it, and would nitpick every little mistake he made for a time. But I was WAY wrong about Blake. He earned that position, deserved it, and deserved more credit for what he did as our QB than many of us give him. I hold Blake Sims in pretty high regard now, but admittedly did not when he first got it.

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Stephen A Smith had a pretty strong take on this on ESPN's First Take. I am going to paraphrase it the best I can, because I was too busy laughing while listening to get it all down (Smith being the obnoxious, but funny in this case, personality that he is).

"Saban should communicate with the man. He should sit him down, have their knees touching, look him in the eyes, and say "I am benching you. Not because of anything you said but because I have SERIOUS questions about your ability to throw the football! I am going to let this other brother go do his thing.'" Smith called Jalen's performance in the NCS awful, deplorable, and a few other negative words I can't recall totally. He talked about Jalen being 3 for 8 for 20-something yards in that game and not looking so great.

Now, I think Smith may be a little meaner to one of our boys than most of us would be, but he is right. The issue the others were wanting to talk about was Jalen's comment about communicating. Smith wasn't having any of it. He was like "yep. Communicate with him. Tell him he can't play and the other guy can." He did throw in some Roll Tides in the conversation.

Ouch!

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Let's not forget that Jalen got this job over a highly touted player ahead of him in the pecking order - Blake Barnett. BB got upset when he lost his spot, but he lost it for good reason. BB's parents interfered where they had no business, and it further damaged his chances. But, in the end, the better QB got the nod and Jalen was happy with the result.

He finds himself on the other side of this now. How is he going to handle his business? Learn from yesterday's mistakes and make tomorrow a better day.

 

[Crimson White]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Some said that Barnett's family interfered, but they never went to the news media or social media with it like Hurts' Mom and Dad has, and Barnett certainly never whined about being ignored or whatever. He just left. He caught flak for that, but imo, it's a better way to do it than what Jalen is doing.

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Some said that Barnett's family interfered, but they never went to the news media or social media with it like Hurts' Mom and Dad has, and Barnett certainly never whined about being ignored or whatever. He just left. He caught flak for that, but imo, it's a better way to do it than what Jalen is doing.

BB was the starter against USC. He abandoned his team 3 weeks later. Jalen doesn't plan on abandoning his team as far as we know. He made some ill advised statements.

 

[davefrat]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Maybe it's just me, but I'm totally unconcerned about the latest from Jalen and how it affects anything going forward.

Tua's the obvious choice to start, Jones is a capable backup, and if Jalen is unhappy then so be it.

He's a good kid and i understand his frustrations...he's represented the university well for the last couple of years.

Stay, go, play 3rd string...whatever.

He probably made the decision a lot easier too.

 

[westide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

What happens if Jalen stays and doesn't get the playing time he thinks he deserves? What concerns me is whether Jalen and his family will continue to vent and push the narrative that some how he has not been treated fairly. If this happens they become a thorn in the side of the program and anything good Jalen does on the field will be far outweighed by the negativity generated off the field.

 

[davefrat]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Is it common for this staff (or any staff for that matter) to ask players how they are feeling about closely contested position battles?

Is that even a legitimate gripe?

 

[bigjue24]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Said it several times before. I was fully on the Coker bandwagon and gave Blake no chance at winning that job. I was even upset when he got it, and would nitpick every little mistake he made for a time. But I was WAY wrong about Blake. He earned that position, deserved it, and deserved more credit for what he did as our QB than many of us give him. I hold Blake Sims in pretty high regard now, but admittedly did not when he first got it.

I was the opposite. I was really pulling for Blake because of the way he had been willing to serve in any capacity and at any position. The guy was a real team player. I was so happy he had a good senior season. I honestly felt the same about Jalen until his comments this weekend. I thought Tua would wind up with the job, but I was pulling for Jalen to do well here or somewhere else. After that display I'm just kind of done with the whole thing. The job is Tua's.

 

[CrimsonProf]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Two quick thoughts:

1. Why do we all feel like we "know" Jalen? Almost none of us do.

2. Can't post a link at the moment, but find the comments from Gary Danielson at media days. A slightly nicer version of what Stephen A said.


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[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

What happens if Jalen stays and doesn't get the playing time he thinks he deserves? What concerns me is whether Jalen and his family will continue to vent and push the narrative that some how he has not been treated fairly. If this happens they become a thorn in the side of the program and anything Jalen does on the field will be far outweighed by the negativity generated off the field.

You can't kick Jalen off the team because his parent's can't control themselves. We have to wait and see how Jalen conducts himself going forward. But I wouldn't be surprised if Jalen's access to the media just ended.

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Is it common for this staff (or any staff for that matter) to ask players how they are feeling about closely contested position battles?

Is that even a legitimate gripe?

Not knocking this generation, but this is how they were raised. They are not the same, and seem to require a lot more of this type of reassurance.

 

[B1GTide]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Maybe it's just me, but I'm totally unconcerned about the latest from Jalen and how it affects anything going forward.

Tua's the obvious choice to start, Jones is a capable backup, and if Jalen is unhappy then so be it.

He's a good kid and i understand his frustrations...he's represented the university well for the last couple of years.

Stay, go, play 3rd string...whatever.

He probably made the decision a lot easier too.

I am not worried about Alabama because you have Mac, but I am a little worried about Jalen. Those comments seemed out of character. I think that he is putting too much pressure on himself - or maybe the pressure is coming from elsewhere (parents? friends?).

 

[Crimson White]

Re: Alabama QB competition article (ALL QB posts here, please)

Two quick thoughts:

1. Why do we all feel like we "know" Jalen?


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Amen to that. As I previously noted, many (most?) of us don't even know our neighbors well enough to "love" them, and have no idea what goes on privately or what character a man really has. As long as things are going well, it's easy to be magnanimous and a really nice guy. It's often when a man is faced with adversity that we learn much about him. I'm not saying that Jalen is or is not a swell fellow in private, but unless we have met the guy and spent time with him, we really don't know. I am, though, getting to know about his parents more than I really need to.