Alabama QB competition article

[tide power fan]

B1G, give the D some credit.

 

[Crimson White]

Jalen played a lot better against Clemson in 2016 that GMac played in any game in his career - certainly better than GMac played against Texas. Alabama doesn't sniff the playoffs the last 2 years with GMac as the starting QB.

You are not giving Jalen enough credit. He is not Tua, but he has been a GREAT QB for Alabama.

I'd take McElroy right now instead of Jalen Hurts. He did win a national title. Hurts never has and Hurts is by no stretch of the imagination a great quarterback at this level. McElroy at least could pull the trigger. Maybe you're measuring Hurts by the guy at Ohio State that also can't consistently complete passes.

Anyway, I gotta go work some.

 

[drwho]

Jalen played a lot better against Clemson in 2016 that GMac played in any game in his career

I'd have to disagree with that statement. GMac had a few games that were better than Jalen vs. Clemson in 2016.

 

[RTR91]

McCarron's first year was McElroy's last year. Right? He was a true freshman in that it was his first year, but he redshirted that year. Isn't that correct?

Buy yeah, McElroy won the national title in 2009. I have no recollection of Auburn winning in 2010. In my world, it didn't happen.

AJ McCarron got to Alabama in 2009. He redshirted that season but was going to play against Texas if need be because he had already passed Star Jackson as QB2. He was McElroy's backup in 2010 as a redshirt freshman.

 

[B1GTide]

B1G, give the D some credit.

The defense didn't drive the ball down the field against Clemson's great defense to score the go ahead TD with less than 2 minutes to play in that game. That defense was great, but Jalen was the SEC offensive player of the year for a reason.

 

[Intl.Aperture]

The defense didn't drive the ball down the field against Clemson's great defense to score the go ahead TD with less than 2 minutes to play in that game. That defense was great, but Jalen was the SEC offensive player of the year for a reason.

We are getting into that whole debate of the defense playing lights out and the offense doing nothing or most of the game (led by Jalen) and then the defense getting worn out late because the offense wasn't sustaining drives.

We've been on this merry go round before. IMO, comparing Gmac and Jalen is apples and oranges. Gmac threw the ball marginally better because he at least knew were he was supposed to go with it. He had a good mind for the game, just none of the physical tools. Jalen is opposite in someways. He's just not processing it fast enough at the moment and despite showing flashes of touch and a definite cannon for an arm, he is less accurate that McElroy - but he's got the dual threat nature which adds another dimension and can blow a game wide open, like he did at the end with Clemson. Too hard to compare and the identities of the teams too different to say what would and wouldn't happen. Jalen HAS been a great QB for us - he's just not an elite QB and we likely have one of those on our roster. Rotten luck for him.

 

[RTR91]

The defense didn't drive the ball down the field against Clemson's great defense to score the go ahead TD with less than 2 minutes to play in that game. That defense was great, but Jalen was the SEC offensive player of the year for a reason.

I see we're back to some of the same talking points from the last year. This conversation always ends up in a circle of talking points.

Yes, Jalen scored the TD to put Alabama ahead with less than two minutes left in the game.

Yes, Jalen was the 2016 SEC OPOY.

It's also true the defense was dead tired against Clemson because the offense was as anemic as one could be in a championship game. There were flaws with the coaching, play calling, and execution.

While Jalen won the OPOY, who was his competition? There really wasn't any, and that's not because Jalen was putting up astronomical numbers, either.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Jalen played a lot better against Clemson in 2016 that GMac played in any game in his career - certainly better than GMac played against Texas. Alabama doesn't sniff the playoffs the last 2 years with GMac as the starting QB.

You are not giving Jalen enough credit. He is not Tua, but he has been a GREAT QB for Alabama.

Okay, got to stop you here. This is total hyperbole. Go re-watch the 2009 SEC Championship game against Florida. Regarding the Texas game, GM was playing with broken/cracked ribs. A little unfair to use that game as an example.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

Honestly, I really hope Jalen does transfer and gets a chance to play QB somewhere else(if he wants to play QB still). I want to see him at a school where the expectations aren't so high. It would be even better if he gets paired up with a Chip Kelly or Lane Kiffin type coach. I really like Jalen and would love to be able to root for him somewhere. He is a good to very good college QB but calling him Great is a stretch.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Honestly, I really hope Jalen does transfer and gets a chance to play QB somewhere else(if he wants to play QB still). I want to see him at a school where the expectations aren't so high. It would be even better if he gets paired up with a Chip Kelly or Lane Kiffin type coach. I really like Jalen and would love to be able to root for him somewhere. He is a good to very good college QB but calling him Great is a stretch.

Well said and this is my hope for Jalen as well. He's too good of a kid and too good of a football player to be riding the bench, or heck, even splitting time with someone. But unfortunately he plays for a team that is completely loaded with talent from top to bottom. He's also unfortunate in that his competition at his position is a once in a generation type talent. Also, I don't think the pro style offense fits his strengths and I think truth be told. That's the style offense Saban really wants to run. The second half of the title game is what Saban pictures our offense being. Balanced, multiple and the ability to have the quarterback sit in the pocket and dissect the defense. Tua's talent plays right into that type offense. Unfortunately, Jalen's does not. He could really, really shine in a Kiffin or Chip Kelly style offense. I hope he gets that chance.

 

[B1GTide]

Well said and this is my hope for Jalen as well. He's too good of a kid and too good of a football player to be riding the bench, or heck, even splitting time with someone. But unfortunately he plays for a team that is completely loaded with talent from top to bottom. He's also unfortunate in that his competition at his position is a once in a generation type talent. Also, I don't think the pro style offense fits his strengths and I think truth be told. That's the style offense Saban really wants to run. The second half of the title game is what Saban pictures our offense being. Balanced, multiple and the ability to have the quarterback sit in the pocket and dissect the defense. Tua's talent plays right into that type offense. Unfortunately, Jalen's does not. He could really, really shine in a Kiffin or Chip Kelly style offense. I hope he gets that chance.

I agree with this completely. Alabama has talent all over the field on offense and needs to run a pro-set offense to leverage that talent. Lesser QBs have won championships and the Heisman. But Tua (and probably Mac Jones) are better fits for your offense. But Jalen is still a great QB.

While I don't see either Jalen or Tua transferring this year, I kinda hope that Jalen does for his sake. A whole lot of other programs would love to have him. Heck, he might win the Heisman somewhere else (in a conference with lesser defenses).

 

[CrimsonProf]

Greg was also playing against a very different SEC .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[UAH]

Well said and this is my hope for Jalen as well. He's too good of a kid and too good of a football player to be riding the bench, or heck, even splitting time with someone. But unfortunately he plays for a team that is completely loaded with talent from top to bottom. He's also unfortunate in that his competition at his position is a once in a generation type talent. Also, I don't think the pro style offense fits his strengths and I think truth be told. That's the style offense Saban really wants to run. The second half of the title game is what Saban pictures our offense being. Balanced, multiple and the ability to have the quarterback sit in the pocket and dissect the defense. Tua's talent plays right into that type offense. Unfortunately, Jalen's does not. He could really, really shine in a Kiffin or Chip Kelly style offense. I hope he gets that chance.

Excellent comment. I just watched the GMac interview with Paul Finebaum posted here. I believe GMac was right to a point but it really stretches it for me to believe that CNS doesn't absolutely know already which QB has the highest ceiling. The question for me would be... is the coaching staff going to wait until the team is down by 13 to TAMU or LSU to make a decision. By then the option available in the NC game may be out the door.

 

[B1GTide]

Greg was also playing against a very different SEC .

This is true, but the Alabama 2016 schedule, including the CFP games, was the most difficult schedule in the history of the game. You played 10 teams ranked in the top 20.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Excellent comment. I just watched the GMac interview with Paul Finebaum posted here. I believe GMac was right to a point but it really stretches it for me to believe that CNS doesn't absolutely know already which QB has the highest ceiling. The question for me would be... is the coaching staff going to wait until the team is down by 13 to TAMU or LSU to make a decision. By then the option available in the NC game may be out the door.

I think we'd all be a bit naive to believe that CNS doesn't have an opinion or "feel" on who he thinks will win the job. As disciplined as the man is, he's still human and there's no way I'm going to believe that he's able to put himself in a mental position of complete objectivity. Where no personal biases of past performances (i.e. what Tua did in the title game) enters into the decision making process. He's not only a coach but he's also a talent evaluator. Hence, the reason he's so dang good in recruiting. He can watch a kid play/practice, see his strengths and weaknesses, and give you a very accurate assessment on what the kid does best, and what "system" he'd flourish in the most. So, yeah, I'm pretty certain CNS already knows who has the highest ceiling within the offense he wants to run and he probably already knows whose talents will more than likely flourish in the type offense he wants to run. He's just not going to publicly say it, because he wants to keep both players on campus.

 

[RedWave]

I do think most of you guys a right on point in that Jalen's issue is less about him not being good and more about Tua just being that much better. Jalen did a very good, if not great, job for us for two years. Yes, I was one of many who got frustrated at his lack of passing/reading skills, but I do think we all have to recognize that he carried out what he was asked to do as well as he could have with his given skillset. I do regret that any of this talk has ever devolved into giving him any less than all the credit he deserves for his contributions to date.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I do think most of you guys a right on point in that Jalen's issue is less about him not being good and more about Tua just being that much better. Jalen did a very good, if not great, job for us for two years. Yes, I was one of many who got frustrated at his lack of passing/reading skills, but I do think we all have to recognize that he carried out what he was asked to do as well as he could have with his given skillset. I do regret that any of this talk has ever devolved into giving him any less than all the credit he deserves for his contributions to date.

Yes, he carried us through most games, but at the same time he became a liability at his position in games as well. Even in games we ultimately won. Jalen hit a developmental wall and the better defenses started taking advantage of it.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Here's the catch: Jalen came to be taught, to become more than what he is. He didn't come to be an rpo back, he came to learn to be an NFL ready quarterback. He knows his own weaknesses and is trying to address them, I just think a better quarterback (in the mechanical sense) has come along at an inopportune time, at least for him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Here's the catch: Jalen came to be taught, to become more than what he is. He didn't come to be an rpo back, he came to learn to be an NFL ready quarterback. He knows his own weaknesses and is trying to address them, I just think a better quarterback (in the mechanical sense) has come along at an inopportune time, at least for him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also think there wasn't proper quarterback coaching for him to develop into an NFL ready quarterback. Lane isn't a quarterbacks coach. He's a guy who takes the talent and strengths the player already has and builds the playcalling around it. He doesn't teach and develop. Then we had Daboll. Who is a dyed in the wool NFL guy who is used to dealing with NFL quarterbacks. Not players who want to develop INTO an NFL quarterback.

 

[B1GTide]

Here's the catch: Jalen came to be taught, to become more than what he is. He didn't come to be an rpo back, he came to learn to be an NFL ready quarterback. He knows his own weaknesses and is trying to address them, I just think a better quarterback (in the mechanical sense) has come along at an inopportune time, at least for him.

I believe that he would have become a much better passing QB if he had the opportunity to learn as a backup or as a red shirt. Everyone wants to start immediately, but he had further to go in learning to read and react to defenses as a passer than anyone would have guessed.