Goal for Crimson Tide QBs: Win team, titles
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Jalen Hurts is the strong-armed running threat who has mostly won during his Alabama career.
Tua Tagovailoa is the prized, lefthanded recruit who rallied the Crimson Tide to a national championship.
It’s a quarterback competition, Alabama-style. Totally win-win.
The Crimson Tide has two good options to choose from, and the decision will be based on what everything is at Alabama: Victories that make the Tide national and Southeastern Conference title contenders.
“A guy that wins,” is how offensive coordinator Mike Locksley boils down what the Tide’s looking for.
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 Tide 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.
While 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 only intercepted once last season and has gone 13-1 as a starter in each of his first two seasons with a pair of trips to 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.
“But I also know that Jalen did a great job in providing the team exactly what it was they needed in the (13) games leading up to that championship game.
“I don’t think it’s as clear-cut as everyone else seems to think it is but I still think that Tua would have the inside track.”
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 picked off once and was sacked on the play before the TD strike.
“We have film of good, bad and ugly and that’s definitely been on the ugly,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s most definitely something you can learn from. Instead of taking a sack, throw the ball away.”
Hurts has struggled in four playoff games, totaling just 329 passing yards while also making some plays on the ground and being named offensive MVP of last season’s semifinal game.
But 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.