Question about Jalen's Development

smith5753 · Nov 8, 2016

I admittedly haven't been able to read through all the threads, so delete or move if this is already being discussed somewhere else.

I have been having to watch the games from work so I miss a lot. I'm also in graduate school so I haven't been able to re-watch most of the games. My question is for the guys who more critically assess plays and players than just an average fan like myself. I'm also aware that Jalen is a freshman and I'm not bashing or rushing his development. I am simply curious how much you guys think he has developed as a passer throughout the season so far. Does he appear to be making reads quicker, and has he been going through his progressions and not locking on to his first target?

One thing that worries me is our inability to throw medium range passes consistently. 7-15 yards. I don't really even recall all that many attempts to do so. Seems like most of our passes are the short wr screen passes or deep shots down the field. Maybe this week will be the week it comes together! RTR

TiderJack · Nov 8, 2016

Jalen is a work in progress. He was 5 of 6 in the 2nd half after a 5 of 13 first half against LSWho. He completed two intermediate routes to Forristall and Diggs in that 7-15 yard zone you refer to. He is going to get better and I think after he completed the bomb in stride on his first pass of the 2nd half will give him confidence moving forward. We have three straight home games to work on the passing game and I think we see good improvement starting this week against MSU.

AlexanderFan · Nov 8, 2016

I guess the way you can tell when the staff is getting comfortable with Jalen and his development is when you see him throwing over the middle, intermediate areas more. There's so much more going on there and so many more players to read in that part of the field that it takes a while for high school guys to catch up to it.

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gtgilbert · Nov 8, 2016

TiderJ said:
Jalen is a work in progress. He was 5 of 6 in the 2nd half after a 5 of 13 first half against LSWho. He completed two intermediate routes to Forristall and Diggs in that 7-15 yard zone you refer to. He is going to get better and I think after he completed the bomb in stride on his first pass of the 2nd half will give him confidence moving forward. We have three straight home games to work on the passing game and I think we see good improvement starting this week against MSU.

Agreed. JH had some really nice tosses in the 2nd half, and hopefully that will go a long way toward his confidence and development. What's really nice is that 2/3rds of the passes you mention were to other true freshmen, so we should be able to leverage those connections for a long time to come.

bamaslammer · Nov 8, 2016

Statistically it's honestly difficult to track. I've been running a comparsion of Him and AJ McCarron in 2011 and though they began similarly McCarron has been pulling away by this point in the season, though both took a step back against the better LSU defense.

In 2011 McCarron spent the 3 weeks prior to LSU feasting on not so outstanding Vandy, Ole Miss and UT teams. How do you compare that to the Murderer's row that Bama just finished up. With Kentucky being not so bad you can add 5 weeks of above average competition. Plus Jalen is undefeated while McCarron lost the LSU game.

We are talking about AJ McCarron of course but then McCarron could never gash people with his legs the way Hurts has been doing.

Clearly they are keeping him from throwing over the middle. I'm hoping they are going to loosen that up in the next few games. LSU clearly used that to their advantage and certainly MSU will use that same strategy. We are close to a championship level football team if we can just get some improvement in the passing area.

Superdad · Nov 8, 2016

He looks pretty savvy, for a freshman. He's not a polished passer, that's pretty clear.

Wilson Monroe · Nov 8, 2016

I see a clear improvement over the course of the season. Very good arm talent. Hopefully he will get turned loose a little more over the next two weeks!

techster79 · Nov 8, 2016

bamaslammer said:
Statistically it's honestly difficult to track. I've been running a comparsion of Him and AJ McCarron in 2011 and though they began similarly McCarron has been pulling away by this point in the season, though both took a step back against the better LSU defense.

In 2011 McCarron spent the 3 weeks prior to LSU feasting on not so outstanding Vandy, Ole Miss and UT teams. How do you compare that to the Murderer's row that Bama just finished up. With Kentucky being not so bad you can add 5 weeks of above average competition. Plus Jalen is undefeated while McCarron lost the LSU game.

We are talking about AJ McCarron of course but then McCarron could never gash people with his legs the way Hurts has been doing.

Clearly they are keeping him from throwing over the middle. I'm hoping they are going to loosen that up in the next few games. LSU clearly used that to their advantage and certainly MSU will use that same strategy. We are close to a championship level football team if we can just get some improvement in the passing area.

Also, keep in mind McCarron had 3 years in the system at this point in 2011. He was a redshirt Sophmore in 2011. So if it is pretty close now, imagine the ceiling for Hurts.

BamaDMD · Nov 8, 2016

How much time will he get to work on passing in the time between SEC CG and the first playoff. (provided we win out of course). Do they get a few days, 2 weeks, ect...

B1GTide · Nov 8, 2016

I haven't seen much improvement, but that is mostly because of the tough schedule that has limited his freedom to take chances. MSU's secondary is terrible, as is Chattanooga's, so we should know more by the time you play Auburn.

That said, he is good enough to win a national championship for Alabama without that other stuff, so I wouldn't go losing any sleep over this.

BamaMoon · Nov 8, 2016

Most of our first year qbs regress a little as the season goes on. Seems it happened to GMac, AJ, Sims and Coker. Granted, they were all running different offenses and some had different OCs but I think Hurts passing hasn't improved too much (yet) but his running seems to be getting even better (against 4 straight ranked teams).

It's almost unfair to compare him to our other qbs because most of them had plenty of time in college and the system they were running. Shoot, this time last year Hurts was throwing and running around in HS.

Going forward, I think we can look for some improvement in the passing game in the next couple of weeks. I could see CNS and CLK opening up some additional throws to test him.

By the IB, I figure we'll play it a little safer. If we don't turn it over against AU and don't give them easy points I don't see how they can beat us.

BamaMoon · Nov 8, 2016

B1GTide said:
I haven't seen much improvement, but that is mostly because of the tough schedule that has limited his freedom to take chances. MSU's secondary is terrible, as is Chattanooga's, so we should know more by the time you play Auburn.

That said, he is good enough to win a national championship for Alabama without that other stuff, so I wouldn't go losing any sleep over this.

We were posting the same thing about the same time!

Alasippi · Nov 8, 2016

He seems to be getting more comfortable with the speed of the receivers. He gets a little better every week and that's all you can really ask out of a freshman quarterback.

Loam · Nov 8, 2016

I think by the time the playoff rolls around, the handcuffs will be off Jalen and he'll be unleashed for real.

CoastGhost · Nov 8, 2016

Watching the rerun right now and the one pass to Ardarius in the 3rd Q tells me what the future is for Jalen Hurts. He can fling the ball.

tusks_n_raider · Nov 8, 2016

B1GTide said:
I haven't seen much improvement, but that is mostly because of the tough schedule that has limited his freedom to take chances. MSU's secondary is terrible, as is Chattanooga's, so we should know more by the time you play Auburn.

That said, he is good enough to win a national championship for Alabama without that other stuff, so I wouldn't go losing any sleep over this.

I'm not quite sure about this part myself tbh...'right now'. I think me and everyone is cutting him some slack because he IS an 18yr old TF. But at some point(Playoffs or even Auburn)the staff is going to have to take the handcuffs off and Jalen will have to make some intermediate to deep throws with way better accuracy along with consistency.

Michigan, Clemson, Louisville and tOSU all have the ability to create a shootout type game....even against our defense. LSU just gave everyone a template on how to slow us down and we will need to open things up against any of those teams to match score for score. WR screens and Pop passes aren't going to get it done.

RTR91 · Nov 8, 2016

tusks_n_raider said:
Michigan, Clemson, Louisville and tOSU all have the ability to create a shootout type game....even against our defense. LSU just gave everyone a template on how to slow us down and we will need to open things up against any of those teams to match score for score. WR screens and Pop passes aren't going to get it done.

Michigan couldn't. Bama's defense would have a repeat of the Michigan State game.

Tradition4ever · Nov 8, 2016

I think it also needs to be considered that for all of these first year QB's, they hit a rut in the mid to late season simply because opposing defensive coaches have film on them by this time. Those coaches can figure out what an opposing QB does well, what he doesn't do well, what bothers him, etc. Give a talented team an extra week to work on a game-plan, and extra motivation in LSU's case, and that would at least explain the struggles JH had in the first 3 quarters of last Saturday's game. JH probably improves with every rep during the season, but his options will continue to be limited as opposing D's will work to take away the things he does well, or at least the talented D's will (AU, potential CFP opponents).

B1GTide · Nov 8, 2016

tusks_n_raider said:
Michigan, Clemson, Louisville and tOSU all have the ability to create a shootout type game....even against our defense. LSU just gave everyone a template on how to slow us down and we will need to open things up against any of those teams to match score for score. WR screens and Pop passes aren't going to get it done.

Only michigan's defense approaches yours, and their offense is not capable of lighting up your defense. Template or not - the other teams don't have the personnel to do what LSU did. That doesn't mean that you can't lose - it just means that you will be favored in all of those games even with Hurts playing as he is now. You are just better. And if Hurts gets that together, Katy bar the door...

JustNeedMe81 · Nov 8, 2016

He has steadily improved weeks in and out. When he hit the deep ball to Stewart in 2nd half against LSU, I knew that helped his confidence big time. I think we'll see lot of deep ball this Saturday. he just need a breakout game to show that he can do it. It will happen.

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