You heard it here first -Tide will use dual QB System in 2017 (Opinion)

KrAzY3 said:

I think there's really a lot of hype for backup QBs/true freshman and it's just so rarely warranted. We saw murmurs of GMac over JPW, AJ over GMac, and Cornwell, Barnett, and Hurts all got hype as potential true freshmen starters. Only one of those things actually came true.

I think there's just a natural tendency to overestimate the inexperienced guys and to underestimate the incumbent starter. It's a big deal. That aside, I think it is far too easy to over-estimate the, they'll leave early thing. I remember that constantly being said about a receiver, who used up all his eligibility. Quarterbacks probably benefit the most from staying for 5 years anyway. Sure, some can leave early, some have just incredible talent, but a lot of guys benefit from that extra time to develop their abilities. I think it would likely be a disservice to Tua to play him. Having said that, I don't know what was promised, I don't know what Alabama plans on doing, but if I was Tua and his family I'd really want him to take a redshirt. He's learning instead of taking hits, he keeps that year of eligibility, it's a good career choice. And if he turns out like Jameis Winston? He can still leave after after redshirting...

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Well, I'm not hyping him to the point I think he'd push hurts aside. It might even be Jones that grabs the number 2 spot, but one way or another it looks like we'll have a TF as the number 2. My opinion is that it would be good for him to get some reps as early as possible in mop up duty just in case hurts goes down. I'd rather number 2 have at least some game time instead of coming in completely cold.

TRU said:

Yep, getting someone in with experience to be a backup would be a great solution. But this may be hard since it is not likely that they would get much playing time if Hurts stays healthy. I think one of CNS weaknesses might be the tendency to stick with starters too long. This is especially true of the QB position. It might be better to give the others more playing time. If they were getting snaps, it seems to me that they would be better prepared to step up if the starter goes down and would be less likely to transfer. CNS platoons his RBs and much of the D but does not seem to extend this to the QB position. But I'm just fan and not the holder of 5 NC rings. So what do I know?

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This the NFL mindset. Who was Manning's backup, who is Brees's backup? Unless we are up by 35+ you are not going to see the backup.

GrayTide said:

This the NFL mindset. Who was Manning's backup, who is Brees's backup? Unless we are up by 35+ you are not going to see the backup.

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Not.Happening. 1 QB barring injury. QB is a different animal...


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Bamabuzzard said:

I put Jalen in the same mold as Deshaun Watson. High football IQ, can pass and run. Here's Watson's freshman year compared to Hurts'. Watson only played in 8 games. But take his average stats per game and project them out over 15 games and then line them up against Hurts actual stats through 15 games. Then notice Watson's second year under center after having eight games of experience his freshman year.

I expect a very similar or better trajectory for Hurts in his second year under center. Regardless of the clutter toward the end of the year with Kiffin. The reality of starting/playing a true freshman is there was going to be a wall the kid hit whether the Kiffin fiasco happened or not. Did it make it worse? Probably. But every first year starter we've had during Saban's tenure, they have hit a point in the season where they struggled and either the defense, the running game or special teams have pulled us out. I think that is a lot of what happened to Jalen in the latter part of the year. The competition and adjustments by the other teams had caught up to and surpassed his level of development. But to take Jalens freshman year/first year starter struggles and use them as a basis for suggesting he will "regress" is a bit of a reach. The correlation doesn't hold water from past examples of Tide QB's under Saban.


http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/deshaun-watson-1.html

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jalen-hurts-1.html

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I hope you are right! If that happens, Hurts wins the Heisman and Alabama wins another national title.

rgw said:

The only way Tua plays is if they get that RS rule changed as proposed by the coaches or Jalen gets injured.

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Saw a interview with Tua. He basically said he expects to take the QB job away from Hurts.
For the sake of discussion, lets say that does not happen, what do we think Tua will do. I can't
see him riding the bench, as Jalen has 3 more years. Will he transfer, who knows, but will be
interesting to find out.

He just doesn't seem like the type to leave IMHO. Of course I could be very wrong there too. But he knew Hurts was the man the whole time and he stayed committed to us the WHOLE time. Doesn't make sense to want to compete with Hurts and then leave the first year "if" he loses the job to Hurts. That would be wasting his time and surely he knew that going in.

Rick2017 said:

Saw a interview with Tua. He basically said he expects to take the QB job away from Hurts.
For the sake of discussion, lets say that does not happen, what do we think Tua will do. I can't
see him riding the bench, as Jalen has 3 more years. Will he transfer, who knows, but will be
interesting to find out.

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Assuming Jalen holds Tua off, it's highly likely he'd be gone after his junior year so 2 years is just as likely as three.

Rick2017 said:

Saw a interview with Tua. He basically said he expects to take the QB job away from Hurts.
For the sake of discussion, lets say that does not happen, what do we think Tua will do. I can't
see him riding the bench, as Jalen has 3 more years. Will he transfer, who knows, but will be
interesting to find out.

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We'll see how things go, but Tua saying that is no surprise. What is he supposed to say? "Yeah... I'm just going to pick my nails while Jalen starts. Then, I'm going to battle Mac for the starting job in a couple of years."

Let the record show: I'm a big Jalen fan. But I have never heard Nick Saban pay as many public compliments to an incoming quarterback.

gtgilbert said:

Assuming Jalen holds Tua off, it's highly likely he'd be gone after his junior year so 2 years is just as likely as three.

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Jalen will hold Tua off.

It will be an interesting spring for sure.

I am gonna go with what coach says and be happy.............lol i know i drink the kool aid, but heck it brings championships!!!!!!!.....rtr.............t

Rick2017 said:

Saw a interview with Tua. He basically said he expects to take the QB job away from Hurts.

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That could turn out poorly for him. Barnett, Cornwell, and Bateman all left for good reason. Barnett and Cornwell were very highly rated. Barnett was the #2 rated pro style QB in his class. Bateman and Cornwell were both #4 (according to 247). Both Barnett and Bateman had also made starts. That's a lot of talent and experience that got out of the way in a hurry. If Tua really thinks he can beat out Hurts, I mean I respect the goal but I don't think that's realistic. He's not a very big guy, he doesn't have the build Hurts has, playing at all as a true freshman is a daunting propositions. I understand wanting to play from day one, but if spring starts and he's clearly not ready (and this has been the case for every Alabama true freshman QB not named Jalen Hurts), then what? Then again, if that's what it took for Saban to land him? If he's willing to lose a year of eligibility to be a backup? I guess Saban might be willing to accept that.

I haven't seen Saban breath a word about bringing in another QB. There's probably good reason for that. The numbers are very tight, he had to really shoehorn some guys into the class. Finding a JUCO or transfer QB right now might be rather difficult. In addition, getting both Mac (12th ranked pro passer) and Tua (#1 dual threat) in the same class probably took some doing. That's the best haul since they had Bateman, McLeod (39), and Del Rio (33) in the same class.

So part of Saban's allowing the position to be this thin might be necessity, but I really, really have to imagine there's more to it than that. I mean the proposition of Alabama going in with a true sophomore that likes to run as the starter, a thin true freshman that likes to run as the backup (burning his eligiblity) with a walkon or admittedly not physically read yet true freshman as #3? The whole situation just begs for a graduate transfer or JUCO transfer at QB. To me if you let Tua challenge Hurts in the spring and things go as expected, you need to go rustle up someone else to be the backup.

KrAzY3 said:

The whole situation just begs for a graduate transfer or JUCO transfer at QB. To me if you let Tua challenge Hurts in the spring and things go as expected, you need to go rustle up someone else to be the backup.

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This is what I think; the most rational scenario is to find a GT who can play mop up duty and is happy to do it for a contender.

rgw said:

Tua looks very slight...I think he's further behind physically than Hurts was even in Spring '16. Being a state champion caliber weight lifter and generally a gymrat will do that...

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Hurts is a special physical specimen. He is strong for any quarterback at any level of play. Squatting 500 lbs is probably more than most NFL quarterback can lift. However, don't sleep on Tua based on his physical appearance. Pacific Islander folks often are a lot stronger than they look.

Alasippi said:

Jalen will hold Tua off.

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I agree, and IMO Tua transfers at the end of this upcoming season. As much as I hate what is happening in terms of transfers it is the new norm, especially at the QB position.

At worst he starts his RS Sophomore year - assuming we try to redshirt him in favor walkon at QB as backup unless things go bad - if he can just maintain 2nd position throughout Hurts' tenure. Hurts would have to regress over the off-season to make going through many of the same growing pains on offense in 2016 again preferable to the alternative. Let us not forget that the 2017 defense is unlikely to be able to provide such magnificent support to an offense limited at QB.

Tua may transfer out but he could easily be a 2 or 3 year starter with a redshirt in 2017. He doesn't strike me as a me-first guy. Hurts will start and flourish in 2017. Get off the recruiting cycle drug high and return to football reality.

Just a heads up on the backup talk - Mac Jones is now enrolling on February 13. That means we have both freshmen QBs on campus for Spring practice.

I find this whole thing ridiculous - a) look no further than east alabama to see that multiple qb systems do not work, b) people already have Tua transferring, seriously? Good grief... it is going to be a loooonnnnnggggg offseason.

edwd58 said:

I find this whole thing ridiculous - a) look no further than east alabama to see that multiple qb systems do not work, b) people already have Tua transferring, seriously? Good grief... it is going to be a loooonnnnnggggg offseason.

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Both Saban and Meyer have won championships with 2 QBs.

B1GTide said:

Both Saban and Meyer have won championships with 2 QBs.

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Meyer won a NC at OSU with three QB's but not by switching them out every couple of plays. His championship at UF was essentially 1 QB, Leak, with a couple of plays with Tebow thrown in on critical short yardage plays, hardly a multiple system. Saban hasn't won a NC here with 2 QB's. Even at LSU it wasn't a true multiple system. Look, there are always exceptions - which you are quick to want to point out - to everything, however they are just that, exceptions. You give two examples, I give you the rest of the field for the past, what, 30 years of NC's not won by teams using multiple QB systems.