Alabama QB Hurts addresses camp duel

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Hurts finally had a chanceto give his own take on Alabama’s quarterback situation.

Since being benched for the second half of the College Football Playoff national title game, the two-year starter with the sparkling record has had to remain silent publicly aboutthe situation. Hurts was blunt in his first chance to speak with reporters Saturday at media day since the aftermath of that game in Atlanta.

“This whole spring ever sincethe game, [coaches] kind of wanted to let it play out and I guess didn’t think it was a thing to let it die down like there wasn’t something there,” Hurts said. “But that’s always been the elephant in theroom. ...

“No one asked me what was on my mind. No one asked me how I felt about the things that were going on. Nobody asked me what my future held. That’s that. So now it’s like when we try to handle the situation now, for me, it’s kind of late, it’s too late, the narrative has already been created.”

Thenarrative is that he and Tua Tagovailoa are engaged in college football’s most talked about quarterback battle. Then-freshman Tagovailoacame off the bench in the second half to lift Alabama to a victory against Georgia, heaving the winning touchdownpass in overtime.

Hurts’ father, Averion, said in the spring that if Hurts didn’t win the job, he would becomethe “biggest free agent incollege football history.”

Hurts said it wouldn’t make much sense to leave when he’s scheduled to graduatein December.