Alabama QB competition article

[gtgilbert]

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

Ironically, early on one of the criticisms of CNS was that he would only play the starter -- he would not develop the 2nd string QB in games. I even heard this from former players...

Now we're criticizing him for playing 2 QB's -- the lesser of whom was the 2017 SEC OPOY. I guess it comes with the territory...LOL.

It's a little bit different here though. The past criticism was that the younger players didn't get the development so they'd be more ready for the next season, or perhaps for an injury.

Hurts is not a younger player we need to develop for later. He's got a lot of starting game experience. If Tua got dinged and Jalen had to step in, he has the experience to do what he can do. I don't think any amount of game reps are going to push Jalen further along the development path than he's gotten so far.

If the focus is player development for the future, then Jones should get a lot more reps than he got last week.

As others have said, other than loyalty to Jalen, there's not a pressing reason to play him.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

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

It's the "timing" of when to bring in Hurts that will be the debate now. No way I'm in favor of a rotation like we saw against UL.

Personally, I'd like to see Tua get a lot of reps even after the game is in hand on Saturday. Nothing like game reps when you are a young qb.

IMO, hope we don't see #2 qb until 4th quarter this week.

You're right. The way Hurts was used against Louisville was bad because he broke the momentum of our offense. I also want Tua to get a lot of reps because I want him to get the kind of awards and recognition he deserves. I know Saban and Bama have always been about team goals and not personal goals but Tua could throw for 300-350 yards every game if he was left in there and have a great chance at the Heisman with those kind of numbers. He may not get that award however if Coach Saban pulls him early in every game because we have a comfortable lead.

 

[crimsonaudio]

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

I think, at this point, there is no “QB competition ” (thread title). We know who’s 1, who’s 2nd for now and who’s 3rd maybe soon to be 2nd.

We'll decide when and if this thread needs to be closed. Right now it's not detrimental and people are actively discussing the situation.

Read it or don't, but the discussion is continuing, which is why your response isn't on the same page as your query.

 

[Toddrn]

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

Jalen was the 2016 SEC OPOY, K Johnson from AU was the 2017 SEC OPOY.

Now we're criticizing him for playing 2 QB's -- the lesser of whom was the 2017 SEC OPOY. I guess it comes with the territory...LOL.

 

[crimsonaudio]

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

Ironically, early on one of the criticisms of CNS was that he would only play the starter -- he would not develop the 2nd string QB in games. I even heard this from former players...

Now we're criticizing him for playing 2 QB's -- the lesser of whom was the 2017 SEC OPOY. I guess it comes with the territory...LOL.

You honestly don't see the difference?

 

[TitleWave]

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

No, the story really hasn't ended yet...

And the real drama - interior monologue only - has just begun. And what a conundrum it is on a number of levels. Hurts for the first time has in Enos a real quarterback whisperer working to develop him. But if he opts for the redshirt, how much work - and QB whisperer's "undivided attention" - will he get, even on the practice field, unless he's the designated scout team QB each week? So should he commit to staying - and playing (when/if needed) - through the year, and getting developmental reps for NFL Mexico with only one year of eligibility to spend elsewhere, or should he go to the back of the QB queue, play probably a few significant snaps (except in case of emergency) for 'Bama this season and have two full years of eligiblity elsewhere to prove he's NFL Mexico-ready as a QB?

 

[Con]

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

And the real drama - interior monologue only - has just begun. And what a conundrum it is on a number of levels. Hurts for the first time has in Enos a real quarterback whisperer working to develop him. But if he opts for the redshirt, how much work - and QB whisperer's "undivided attention" - will he get, even on the practice field, unless he's the designated scout team QB each week? So should he commit to staying - and playing (when/if needed) - through the year, and getting developmental reps for NFL Mexico with only one year of eligibility to spend elsewhere, or should he go to the back of the QB queue, play probably a few significant snaps (except in case of emergency) for 'Bama this season and have two full years of eligiblity elsewhere to prove he's NFL Mexico-ready as a QB?

If it were me, then he would not take away from the other QB's in practice if he plans on redshirting and is going to transfer to another school in January. I wouldn't want to coach him up just so he could go to a rival school.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

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

It's a little bit different here though. The past criticism was that the younger players didn't get the development so they'd be more ready for the next season, or perhaps for an injury.

Hurts is not a younger player we need to develop for later. He's got a lot of starting game experience. If Tua got dinged and Jalen had to step in, he has the experience to do what he can do. I don't think any amount of game reps are going to push Jalen further along the development path than he's gotten so far.

If the focus is player development for the future, then Jones should get a lot more reps than he got last week.

As others have said, other than loyalty to Jalen, there's not a pressing reason to play him.

Agreed. I’d like to see Jones truly run the offense, not just run out the clock in garbage time.

 

[TideEngineer08]

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

I've thought about this a lot over the weekend. Especially from the angle of what I would tell Hurts if he were my son. I can't help thinking that way since I became a Dad. While I'm all for building up the hopes and dreams of your kids, at a certain point you have to face the reality of your situation. Hurts came to Alabama to compete against the best and develop into an NFL QB. At this stage of his career, he is nowhere near that. Fine, you shoot for the moon and land among the stars. At this point, I would be lying to him if I told him he still had the chance to be an NFL QB. That chance as it stands today is probably 10 million to 1 against him. So he's got 3 choices, as I see it. 1: seek to transfer to another school for immediate playing time after he graduates in December. This is the trickiest choice, because either he dedicates himself to the team and thus risks losing his redshirt year by playing in too many games, or he asks Nick Saban to protect his redshirt year which would probably not go over well. 2: stick it out at QB, soak up all he can from Coach Enos and be there for the team in case he is needed. This probably doesn't get him to the NFL in any way. 3: Pursue a change of position. This probably still doesn't go over that well with Coach Saban, but it gives Hurts his only realistic shot at an NFL career, IMO. If I were his father, and if I knew he loved Alabama and loved being around his teammates, I'd advise option 2 or maybe 3. Option 1 is only going to get him with another team. It doesn't guarantee a shot at being an NFL QB, and it doesn't even guarantee playing time. How many QBs have we watched transfer out only to find themselves buried on the depth chart of their new team?

 

[UAH]

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

I've thought about this a lot over the weekend. Especially from the angle of what I would tell Hurts if he were my son. I can't help thinking that way since I became a Dad. While I'm all for building up the hopes and dreams of your kids, at a certain point you have to face the reality of your situation. Hurts came to Alabama to compete against the best and develop into an NFL QB. At this stage of his career, he is nowhere near that. Fine, you shoot for the moon and land among the stars. At this point, I would be lying to him if I told him he still had the chance to be an NFL QB. That chance as it stands today is probably 10 million to 1 against him. So he's got 3 choices, as I see it. 1: seek to transfer to another school for immediate playing time after he graduates in December. This is the trickiest choice, because either he dedicates himself to the team and thus risks losing his redshirt year by playing in too many games, or he asks Nick Saban to protect his redshirt year which would probably not go over well. 2: stick it out at QB, soak up all he can from Coach Enos and be there for the team in case he is needed. This probably doesn't get him to the NFL in any way. 3: Pursue a change of position. This probably still doesn't go over that well with Coach Saban, but it gives Hurts his only realistic shot at an NFL career, IMO. If I were his father, and if I knew he loved Alabama and loved being around his teammates, I'd advise option 2 or maybe 3. Option 1 is only going to get him with another team. It doesn't guarantee a shot at being an NFL QB, and it doesn't even guarantee playing time. How many QBs have we watched transfer out only to find themselves buried on the depth chart of their new team?

The fact that so many good football players were cut from NFL rosters this week points to the fact that the NFL dream is difficult one to be realized. One option I have thought about for Jalen if he decides to stay at Alabama is to begin to focus on a coaching career. If he could get a gig for a couple of years as an graduate assistant on CNS's staff it could set him up for a long and profitable career in coaching. I agree with you that other paths he may choose may prove to be the absolute worst thing he could do.

 

[CrimsonForce]

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

The fact that so many good football players were cut from NFL rosters this week points to the fact that the NFL dream is difficult one to be realized. One option I have thought about for Jalen if he decides to stay at Alabama is to begin to focus on a coaching career. If he could get a gig for a couple of years as an graduate assistant on CNS's staff it could set him up for a long and profitable career in coaching. I agree with you that other paths he may choose may prove to be the absolute worst thing he could do.

I’m not trying to pile on here but coach what position? Maybe strength and conditioning but I don’t see him going into coaching QBs or offense in general..

 

[UAH]

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

I’m not trying to pile on here but coach what position? Maybe strength and conditioning but I don’t see him going into coaching QBs or offense in general..

I could be completely wrong. That is a given! It is his life not mine but I do know that there are a heck of a lot of coaches out there in the NCAA and NFL who never played the game at a high level including one CNS.

 

[gtgilbert]

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

I’m not trying to pile on here but coach what position? Maybe strength and conditioning but I don’t see him going into coaching QBs or offense in general..

There are a ton of coaches who are very, very successful at one position or another who never played that position. Just because Jalen doesn't have "it", whatever "it" is that would make him an elite QB, in no way means that he wouldn't be very successful as a coach. From all accounts we've heard, he's a super hard worker, a leader, well liked by his team mates and a bright kid. All those attributes would seem to apply well to the coaching profession.

 

[RTR91]

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

I’m not trying to pile on here but coach what position? Maybe strength and conditioning but I don’t see him going into coaching QBs or offense in general..

Freddie Kitchens and Sly Croom don't coach the position they played in college.

 

[teamplayer]

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

There are a ton of coaches who are very, very successful at one position or another who never played that position. Just because Jalen doesn't have "it", whatever "it" is that would make him an elite QB, in no way means that he wouldn't be very successful as a coach. From all accounts we've heard, he's a super hard worker, a leader, well liked by his team mates and a bright kid. All those attributes would seem to apply well to the coaching profession.

I agree. In fact, most great players do not make very good coaches because they seem to get frustrated that all guys don't do things as easily as they did. Most of the great coaches seem to be guys who love the game and wanted to be better, so they had to pay attention to every little detail and work harder than the more athletic guys around them. They develop that work ethic and attention to detail that makes them successful.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

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

Watching the UL game, it was a night/day difference between how the offense was run between Tua and Hurts, and I wasn't really surprised that much. Maybe CNS needed to see the gap under genuine circumstances - both QBs are facing a defense that they're not necessarily familiar with and are playing live. But, I do believe CNS has waited this long simply because of his preference for players that are risk-adverse, and his respect for seniority. But he's seen the biggest difference in 1.5 consecutive halves between Tua and Jalen, and much like how he responds to questions about QB rotations and the like, it wouldn't surprise me at all at he uses the next two games to give both players reps (Tua with more reps), and then beginning with OM, stick with Tua until the game is comfortably in hand.

 

[RTR2u]

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

I agree. In fact, most great players do not make very good coaches because they seem to get frustrated that all guys don't do things as easily as they did. Most of the great coaches seem to be guys who love the game and wanted to be better, so they had to pay attention to every little detail and work harder than the more athletic guys around them. They develop that work ethic and attention to detail that makes them successful.

This X 1000. It works this way in other areas of teaching, too. Band, to be specific. The director might not be an well-known orchestral type player or have that ability, but by working his/her tail off he/she knows how to get a correct sound and how to teach it. Been there, done that, got lotsa tshirts.

 

[JDMinHSV]

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

Watching the UL game, it was a night/day difference between how the offense was run between Tua and Hurts, and I wasn't really surprised that much. Maybe CNS needed to see the gap under genuine circumstances - both QBs are facing a defense that they're not necessarily familiar with and are playing live. But, I do believe CNS has waited this long simply because of his preference for players that are risk-adverse, and his respect for seniority. But he's seen the biggest difference in 1.5 consecutive halves between Tua and Jalen, and much like how he responds to questions about QB rotations and the like, it wouldn't surprise me at all at he uses the next two games to give both players reps (Tua with more reps), and then beginning with OM, stick with Tua until the game is comfortably in hand.

He sees it every day at practice. What he wanted was for the rest of us to see it and get off his back.

 

[RTR91]

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

He sees it every day at practice. What he wanted was for the rest of us to see it and get off his back.

That's silly. No one was on his back after watching the CFP championship game.

 

[TiderJack]

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

That's silly. No one was on his back after watching the CFP championship game.

He does make one point. He had to give Jalen his fair shot during the first half, he did, the world saw and now we have a definitive starter. I am sure Jalen will not be put in after 3 or 4 series this week and we will now do a normal replacement rotation as we have seen in the past when we have built up a big lead in the 2nd half IMO.