Alabama QB competition article

[Bamabuzzard]

Just so everyone's clear, I harbor no anger for barnett, just apathy.

Agreed 'Audio. I harbor no anger toward Barnett either. Just calling it as it is. He quit during the season so that makes him a quitter. Doesn't make him a bad person, doesn't mean he won't be a great father, husband etc. Just means in this particular situation he was a quitter. Hope he learned a valuable lesson from it.

 

[CrimsonForce]

I'm not so sure. Jalen IS deceptively fast. We've seen him- maybe not run away from DB's the way D. Harris does, but at least match their speed at times, and he's not exactly "Doug Flutie" sized. Jalen is listed on our roster as 6'2 - 218. He'd be small by NFL TE Standards, but not tiny - there ARE current NFL starting TE's that are listed at 6'2 and 6'3.

And I'm not prepared to say out-of-hand that he couldn't develop as a TE, H-Back or even a RB if he committed to learning the position and spent at least a year in college (here or elsewhere) training for and playing the position.

That said, I think it would be in his best interest to pick a new position and spend the next two years at Alabama learning. But that's NOT what I expect to happen.

I expect to Tua to be Named as starter at the beginning of the Louisville game, and I expect Jalen to transfer - either in January, or perhaps in August or September, and to appear as the starting QB at another school in August 2019. Play one or two years, post great numbers, and go undrafted.

And that will be a shame. "IMO"

Which means he's probably really between 6'1 and 6'0 and 200 lbs. He doesn't have the lateral agility to play RB. I would eat the shirt off my back if Jalen ever played TE in a NFL game. It just isn't going to happen. Most NFL TE's are physical specimens who are 6'4, 240 lbs and run incredibly well for their size. Yes, I'm sure there's a few TE's who are smaller but by and large that isn't the case. Also, Jalen would have to play special teams to make a 53 man roster in the NFL which he's never done before. No NFL team is going to carry a player who is a project at best and not ask them to cover punts / kickoffs.

Only way Jalen conceivably sniffs the NFL is if he transfers and plays under a QB guru who really accelerates his decision making and thought process because he is a good athlete for being a QB but he's not really a good athlete at any other position IRT the NFL. I don't think that will happen but that's the only way he might have a chance to be a late round pick or at least get a tryout somewhere in the pros..

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

Which means he's probably really between 6'1 and 6'0 and 200 lbs. He doesn't have the lateral agility to play RB. I would eat the shirt off my back if Jalen ever played TE in a NFL game. It just isn't going to happen. Most NFL TE's are physical specimens who are 6'4, 240 lbs and run incredibly well for their size. Yes, I'm sure there's a few TE's who are smaller but by and large that isn't the case. Also, Jalen would have to play special teams to make a 53 man roster in the NFL which he's never done before. No NFL team is going to carry a player who is a project at best and not ask them to cover punts / kickoffs.

Only way Jalen conceivably sniffs the NFL is if he transfers and plays under a QB guru who really accelerates his decision making and thought process because he is a good athlete for being a QB but he's not really a good athlete at any other position IRT the NFL. I don't think that will happen but that's the only way he might have a chance to be a late round pick or at least get a tryout somewhere in the pros..

There is a new breed of TEs but he doesn't have the route running prowess to be that kind of guy. See Evan Engram and Jordan Reed

 

[JustNeedMe81]

Jalen would need to work really hard to become an NFL player at another position. He probably has the strength and speed but idk if he has the agility/wiggle. He may gain more of that if he changes his workout habits though. He does seem to have enough athleticism to be an NFL player at another position but he would have to work on it. He isn't Lamar Jackson when it comes to looking like a clear NFL player at multiple positions purely based on athleticism.

I'm pretty sure Jalen loves to work out in the gym. We've seen videos of him lifting weights.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I'm pretty sure Jalen loves to work out in the gym. We've seen videos of him lifting weights.

He is a well-known weightroom warrior...

 

[BamaMoon]

That said, I think it would be in his best interest to pick a new position and spend the next two years at Alabama learning. But that's NOT what I expect to happen.

I expect to Tua to be Named as starter at the beginning of the Louisville game, and I expect Jalen to transfer - either in January, or perhaps in August or September, and to appear as the starting QB at another school in August 2019. Play one or two years, post great numbers, and go undrafted.

And that will be a shame. "IMO"

There's not another position at Alabama he could switch to and have a decent chance to earn quality playing time. Too many 4 and 5 stars he'd have to compete against.

And, concerning transferring someone else and playing QB, he could do that. Yes, there are plenty of places he could start, but I don't think he's going to be near as succesful at another school because he won't be surrounded by players that can help him do that.

He's never going to post huge numbers passing, in any system, IMO. And, no matter where he plays, defenses have 2 years of knowing how to game plan against him.

So I think he'd have a decent career somewhere else, but not the kind of eye popping stats that will get him drafted at QB.

I don't know what the roster looks like at Georgia Tech or Army but Jalen would be a great option style QB, IMO.

 

[rgw]

If he were to quit his team mid-season? Yes.

But JH has the character to finish what he starts - I'd be shocked if he were a quitter.

He can graduate in December apparently...according to the Saban media day press conference.

No reason for him to do anything other that stay and finish school so he can grad transfer. I imagine he'd LOVE to play no more than 4 games if he isn't the starter because then he'd get 2 years of eligibility for his graduate transfer landing spot.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

I don't know what the roster looks like at Georgia Tech or Army but Jalen would be a great option style QB, IMO.

So true. I have always thought if major college programs would still be running the wishbone then Jalen could really thrive. Back in the 1980's a coach like Barry Switzer would be salivating over a guy like Jalen.

 

[rgw]

You put him on a team that is 60-40 run/pass and every pass attempt is a 1-read RPO and he may win a Heisman. His problem is that he can't execute the more conventional passing offense consistent enough to flourish in a more mixed approach utilized at Alabama. With that said, I kinda expect him to end up at Auburn to replace Stidham.

 

[crimsonaudio]

He can graduate in December apparently

Yup, he is on track to, that's well-established. My point is that even if he weren't, he's never shown the (lack of) character needed to quit the team mid-season. I just can't see it based on what we know of him.

Some folks just do things the right way.

 

[BamaMoon]

You put him on a team that is 60-40 run/pass and every pass attempt is a 1-read RPO and he may win a Heisman. His problem is that he can't execute the more conventional passing offense consistent enough to flourish in a more mixed approach utilized at Alabama. With that said, I kinda expect him to end up at Auburn to replace Stidham.

If he goes to Auburn it won't be well received by the Bama Nation.

But if he does, if other defenses figured out how to stop us with him at QB, I figure we know the formula as well as anybody. But the IB would be an epic media event for sure!

 

[GrayTide]

The Wishbone requires the QB to make at least two reads on every running play and they have to be done in the blink of an eye. Could he do that?

 

[rgw]

If he goes to Auburn it won't be well received by the Bama Nation.

But if he does, if other defenses figured out how to stop us with him at QB, I figure we know the formula as well as anybody. But the IB would be an epic media event for sure!

Oregon may be another possibility considering the ties to Cristobal from his time at Alabama. I'd say Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, and Oregon are his likely grad transfer landing spots. They will all likely be in the market for rental at QB given what we know about them now.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

The Wishbone requires the QB to make at least two reads on every running play and they have to be done in the blink of an eye. Could he do that?

This is correct. And, if the answer is always QB keeps the ball, then, not only does the offense bog down, the QB is unlikely to finish the season. That's the standard defense to the wishbone - dictate that the QB keeps the ball and murder him. That's the reason wishbone teams try to keep three good QBs ready to go...

 

[BamaMoon]

Oregon may be another possibility considering the ties to Cristobal from his time at Alabama. I'd say Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, and Oregon are his likely grad transfer landing spots. They will all likely be in the market for rental at QB given what we know about them now.

Oregon makes sense, but I imagine if he is going to transfer TAMU and UT makes the most sense for him.

 

[colbysullivan]

Oregon makes sense, but I imagine if he is going to transfer TAMU and UT makes the most sense for him.

Psh, Jimbo Fisher would have no idea how to handle a humble, well-spoken QB like Jalen...

 

[AlexanderFan]

This is correct. And, if the answer is always QB keeps the ball, then, not only does the offense bog down, the QB is unlikely to finish the season. That's the standard defense to the wishbone - dictate that the QB keeps the ball and murder him. That's the reason wishbone teams try to keep three good QBs ready to go...

Murder him is the answer to all these offenses that make defenses account for the QB as a runner. Make him pay so that when it comes time for a pass he's not as accurate.


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[gtowntide]

I've always thought Jalen would do really well in a wishbone option type of team. I imagine Paul Johnson would take him in a heartbeat!

 

[GrayTide]

He needs an offense that requires simple handoffs to his RBs. A passing game that lets him roll out and throw on the run to clearly open WRs or keep it. I am sorry to say that any offense that requires precision reads (runs or passes) does not favor him.

 

[Crimson White]

The most suitable offense for Jalen Hurts is the high school kind of offense, and I'm not even being sarcastic or mean. His high school videos show how much better he was than any other player on the field. Unfortunately that's not the case in the SEC, let alone in the college football playoffs.

It's not a coincidence that our offense last year looked like something off a Friday night Alabama 3A football field.