Saban: Hurts has been ‘professional’
Hours after former Clemson starting quarterback Kelly Bryant announced he was transferring, Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed his appreciation for Jalen Hurts sticking around.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney elected after Saturday’s 49-21 win at Georgia Tech to make the switch from Bryant, a senior with a 16-2 record as the starter, to five-star freshman Trevor Lawrence. Two days before Alabama played Louisville in the season opener, Saban informed Hurts he was being supplanted as the starter by Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa has guided the top-ranked Crimson Tide to a 4-0 start and leads the nation in efficiency, while Hurts didn’t play in last Saturday’s 45-23 win over Texas A&M until the score was 45-16 late in the third quarter. Hurts was 26-2 as the starter the past two seasons, leading Alabama to the national championship game both years.
“I think Jalen has been very, very professional about the way he’s sort of handled the situation he’s in,” Saban said in a news conference Wednesday night after a two-hour practice. “I’ve said it’s a unique situation and that nobody’s ever been in this situation before. He won 26 games here, and now suddenly somebody else is playing.
“What he’s done is worked every day to get better. He’s focusing on improving and the value he can get from this season.”
Neither Tagovailoa nor Hurts has been available to the media since the season started.
By electing to transfer before Clemson’s fifth game Saturday against Syracuse, Bryant can use a new NCAA rule allowing him to maintain a redshirt year. Bryant never redshirted after signing in 2015, so he can play somewhere else in 2019 as a fifth-year senior.
Hurts is a junior who has played in all four games, so appearing in Saturday’s game against Louisiana inside Bryant-Denny Stadium would leave him with one remaining season of eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder from Houston has completed 22 of 31 passes (71.0 percent) for 276 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.
“We’re going to play him as much as we possibly can,” Saban said. “He deserves to play. He’s a good player, and there may be a time in the future when he becomes the guy if something happens. We’re not hoping for that narrative, certainly, but I think it speaks volumes of his character to stick with his teammates, be a part of the team and finish the season.
“How you handle things in a difficult situation speaks volumes for who you are.”
A tough start
Alabama freshman punter Skyler DeLong had a rough showing last Saturday and ranks last in the Southeastern Conference with a 35.9-yard average.
“He’s been a lot better in practice,” Saban said. “We know he’s capable. Maybe his confidence in games is not what it needs to be.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.