South Carolina QB on Jalen Hurts: 'The dude can spin it'
Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe now! | Recruiting Board | Talk of Champions
HOOVER, Ala. — Jake Bentley isn’t buying it.
Sure, the South Carolina quarterback has heard about how Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts “can’t throw the ball.” As far as Bentley’s concerned, that’s all just a bunch of noise.
“All that crap about he can’t throw it, that’s not true,” Bentley said during SEC Media Days on Thursday. “That dude can spin it.”
Related: SEC Media Days Coverage | Nick Saban sounds off on contrived QB controversy
Bentley and Hurts were two of the four SEC sophomore quarterbacks to participate in this year’s Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., joining Ole Miss' Shea Patterson and Georgia's Jacob Eason. There the quartet served as camp counselors and took part in several passing drills and competitions. It also gave the young quarterbacks an opportunity to connect with each other and share their experiences of starting as true freshmen in college football’s premier conference.
“I got close with Jalen,” Bentley said. “We really hung out a lot, just talking about everything, our experiences being two young quarterbacks leading the team, different things that we picked up, different things that we’ve learned, that’s what we talked about the most. Hanging out with him was great.”
While Bentley was impressed with Hurts’ deep ball during throwing drills, the biggest thing he learned from his fellow sophomore was how to take control of a locker room. Serving as the first true freshman quarterback to start at Alabama since Vince Sutton in 1984, Hurts effortlessly stepped into a leadership role last season, keeping cool under pressure en route to earning the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award.
“He just talked about how you don’t always have to be a vocal leader all the time,” Bentley said. “And really the main thing is if you work hard guys will follow you. The guys see you busting your tail every day in practice they’ll follow you.”
Video: Saban speaks at SEC Media Days
While he is not always the loudest voice inside Alabama’s locker room, Hurts’ teammates have always noticed his ability to take control. After leading the Tide to a third straight SEC title and an appearance in the national championship, Alabama players see the 6-foot-2, 218-pound quarterback as one of the team’s biggest influences.
“From the day he started as a starter, from there on he’s always been a leader,” Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley said. “He’s always been one of the captains of the team as a freshman, so his leadership is really good.”
Last season Hurts completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions. However, his inability to deliver through the air late in the season generated concern over whether or not he could develop into the passer Alabama needed at the position.
Despite stating several times that Hurts was his starter, Alabama head coach Nick Saban was questioned again Wednesday as to whether there is a quarterback competition between the Channelview, Texas native and true freshman Tua Tagovailoa.
“I never said that. I don’t know who’s saying that,” Saban said. “It’s like me saying somebody said it’s going to be a hurricane outside today. Is that right or wrong? I said it so that means I created something that makes everybody panic and it creates news. You go out there and get people excited, interested and afraid.”
Hurts finished an impressive spring by completing 16 of 25 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns with an interception during Alabama's A-Day game. The sophomore drew plenty of praise from Saban, who said he “has done a good job in the offseason of becoming a better passer, understanding the passing game better.”
Hurts' apparent improvement paired with a slew of positive reviews this offseason has gone a long way toward dampening the criticism placed upon him. However, until he takes the field again for Alabama in its opener against Florida State on Sept. 2, there will inevitably still be a few doubters.
Till then you’ll have to take it from the people who know him best.
“He’s improving every day and he’s one of those guys who work really hard to be better,” Ridley said. “He gets the respect, but there are some people out there who don’t respect him, but they should.”