Tide’s choice: Which good QB starts?
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jalen Hurts is the strong-armed running threat who has mostly won during his Alabama career.
Tua Tagovailoa is the prized, left-handed recruit who rallied the Crimson Tide to a national championship.
It’s a quarterback competition, Alabama-style. Totally win-win.
The Crimson Tide have two good options from which to choose, and the decision will be based on what everything is at Alabama: victories that make the Tide SEC and national-title contenders.
“A guy that wins,” is how offensive coordinator Mike Locksley boils down what Alabama’s seeking.
Both players seem capable of doing that, even if they have different styles and strengths.
Greg McElroy, SEC Network analyst and former Alabama quarterback, figures it might come down to whether head coach Nick Saban wants to bank on the defense and go with the quarterback who makes the fewest mistakes or turn to the one with more of a gunslinging style.
Though Tagovailoa is the presumed front-runner, McElroy believes it remains “very much up in the air” who will start the opener against Louisville in Orlando.
Hurts was intercepted only once last season and has gone 13-1 as a starter in each of his first two seasons with trips to the national-title games.
The Tide lost eight defensive starters from last season’s title team, and projected first-team linebacker Terrell Lewis had knee surgery in July.
“Now, if I were to handicap it myself, I would say Tua would probably have the inside track, just given how he played against one of the best defenses in college football last year,” said McElroy, who led Alabama to the 2009 national championship.
Tagovailoa passed for three touchdowns after halftime of the title game against Georgia’s stingy defense, including the 41-yard winner to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith in overtime.
He also was intercepted once and was sacked on the play before the TD strike.
Hurts has struggled in four playoff games, totaling 329 passing yards while also making some plays on the ground.
He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman. He has run for 1,809 yards and 21 touchdowns in two seasons, though his passing yards per game dipped last season from 185.3 to 148.6.
Hurts vented over the weekend about Alabama’s handling of the quarterback situation and comments from Saban, saying he told Saban in June that he would remain this season and not transfer.
One thing he insists he’s not sweating: competition.
“I’m definitely not looking over my shoulder, I’m not worried about anybody else,” Hurts said. “I’m just worried about me.”