Sunday Pulpit: What to make of the enigma that is Jalen Hurts
Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts remains an enigma to much of Alabama’s fan base. However, that hasn’t stopped those on either side of the fence from attempting to put a label on the rising sophomore.
When critiquing Hurts the easy approach, albeit naive, would be to turn to the stat book, which he tore apart his freshman season. The Channelview, Texas native shattered Alabama records, passing for 2,780 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 954 yards and 13 more scores on the ground.
His rushing total surpassed Steadman Shealy’s school record for most single-season rushing yards by a quarterback, while his 36 combined touchdowns topped the previous Alabama best of 35 set by Blake Sims. So why has Hurts received far more criticism than either former Tide quarterback?
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Perhaps it’s the way he ended the season. In Hurts’ final three games of the year, he combined for 326 yards through the air, nearly 100 yards less than the 420 yards Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson recorded to defeat Alabama in the national championship game.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe the angst surrounding Hurts centers around the fact that he came so close without finishing. Sure, Hurts’ inability to hit receivers downfield led to him completing an underwhelming 13 of 31 passes for 131 yards against the Tigers. Comparatively, Greg McElroy was dubbed a hero after completing 6 of 11 passes for 58 yards in Alabama’s national championship victory over Texas.
While Hurts contributed to the Crimson Tide’s failure to move the ball in the second half against Clemson, it seems unfair to pin all the blame on the then-freshman. After all, Hurts did complete 2 of 3 passes for 21 yards before running in a 30-yard touchdown on Alabama’s final offensive possession, giving the Tide a 31-28 lead with 2:07 remaining.
It could be the 6-foot-2, 214-pound quarterback’s skill set that has Tide fans stumped. Did years of “game managers” make the Alabama faithful skeptical of a quarterback who does the bulk of his damage with his feet? It’s been a while since the Tide has had a quarterback as dynamic as Hurts. Even Sims, while athletic, rushed for just 350 yards in his one year as a starter.
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Of course, there are two sides of the argument. Not every Alabama fan is unsettled with their starting quarterback. Head coach Nick Saban certainly seems content with Hurts, reassuring his place as the starter early this spring to avoid any potential talk of a quarterback competition.
That confidence was reinforced Saturday as Saban provided a positive review of Hurts following the Tide’s first scrimmage. The head coach said Hurts “did a good job,” stating he showed improvement in the pocket, especially with play-action passes. Will that ringing endorsement be enough to win over those who still aren’t completely sold on the young quarterback?
What is Hurts to you?
Is he the next in line of elite Tide playmakers or a fortunate freshman who capitalized on a poor quarterback competition last season? Is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year the driving force behind Alabama’s offense or the single factor holding it back?
In the end, it really doesn’t seem to matter what people think of Hurts. He certainly doesn’t seem to care, and neither do his teammates.
One look at the poised playmaker and it’s obvious to see the confidence that helped him win over the Tide’s locker room early last season. While Hurts, a self-described “competitor,” enters the season focused on improvement, he has no plans of changing who he is. He’s going to keep on being Jalen Hurts.
If you don’t like it, that’s on you.
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