How Nick Saban Described Alabama's Unique QB Situation

You don't even have to read between the lines - Saban considers Jalen the starter. It is already a fight for 2nd place among the two freshmen.

Anyone who thought Jalen was already on thin ice wasn't paying attention...he'd have to really lay an egg this offseason to have a fight on his hands.

I think the biggest issue is whether either of the freshman are really ready to be a backup or, not, which is what Saban alluded to. Personally, I still hope he has a backup plan for that since it's no sure thing that will happen (and I'm sure he does).

This is what I think most people expected no? I know there has been talk about one of the Freshman beating Jalen but that always seem far fetched. Jalen HAS to improve as a passer but do people not remember the LSU TD or even the TD to take the lead at the end of the NC? Jalen is really special running with the ball if he can become a competent passer it's going to be really difficult to stop an offense with this much talent around him. Will he be an NFL prospect? No idea and honestly probably not. But he doesn't need to be. He can be a terror to opposing defenses in college without become Andrew Luck.

I would not be surprised to see a graduate transfer come in at QB for next year. That would give time for the freshmen to develop and have an experienced guy to back Jalen up.

Embarrassment of riches. While Hurts may not have a lot of experience in our old running game, he's a gamer. I don't really forsee anyone unseating him as the starter. Our new guys coming in are all quality Quarterbacks who would start at most schools.

In other positions...
We did have a large class of guys go Pro, but our backups got to play a lot last year. In many cases these guys are backup in name only. I don't really see many problems.

Of course if you had told me last year that Jalen would beat out barnett, Cornwell, and Bateman I would have laughed too.

KrAzY3 said:

I think the biggest issue is whether either of the freshman are really ready to be a backup or, not, which is what Saban alluded to. Personally, I still hope he has a backup plan for that since it's no sure thing that will happen (and I'm sure he does).

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Well, last year we didn't have a true freshman as a backup but we did have a true freshman as a starter. So, I don't really see a problem with having a freshman as a backup.

mark4tide said:

I would not be surprised to see a graduate transfer come in at QB for next year. That would give time for the freshmen to develop and have an experienced guy to back Jalen up.

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Really? I don't think so.

bamamc1 said:

Of course if you had told me last year that Jalen would beat out barnett, Cornwell, and Bateman I would have laughed too.

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Nobody was a returning starter. That's a huge difference and probably why they were willing to give a true freshman a chance.

I guess the surprise is that there isn't an open competition for the position. Or maybe the surprise is that Saban isn't even pretending that there is competition for the position. Jalen is your guy.

B1GTide said:

I guess the surprise is that there isn't an open competition for the position. Or maybe the surprise is that Saban isn't even pretending that there is competition for the position. Jalen is your guy.

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^^This. I just hope Tua and Mac were clearly told this when they were recruited. That we want you but the ceiling right now is for the #2 and #3 Jobs.

There's no reason for Jalen to not clearly be #1 unless he just implodes and doesn't get better and/or regresses. But I also just can't imagine 2 of the Top QB recruits from this past year being told to expect to ride the bench for 3 seasons barring injury?

tusks_n_raider said:

^^This. I just hope Tua and Mac were clearly told this when they were recruited. That we want you but the ceiling right now is for the #2 and #3 Jobs.

There's no reason for Jalen to not clearly be #1 unless he just implodes and doesn't get better and/or regresses. But I also just can't imagine 2 of the Top QB recruits from this past year being told to expect to ride the bench for 3 seasons barring injury?

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I don't think there is a reason for CNS to not assume Jalen will start in the fall since he is a returning starter. With his wealth of experience with slight/moderate improvement in his passing game it would be a monumental upset if Tag or Mac overtakes him.

However, I'm 100% confident if Jalen doesn't improve or regresses in an attempt to improve his passing game AND/OR Tag or Mac just blow past JH's ability to pass the ball down the field and lead the team that the better player will eventually win the #1 qb spot. If not, CNS would be untrue to how he's always operated from day 1.

And then, a 3rd possibility could happen. JH could run the #1 spot thru spring and fall camp and then monumentally struggle against FSU and one of the backups could emerge as a hero and win the game and #1 qb job. Probably unlikely, but anything is possible.

bamamc1 said:

Of course if you had told me last year that Jalen would beat out barnett, Cornwell, and Bateman I would have laughed too.

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Difference was there was no incumbent starter that year. I thought it was unlikely to, until I saw him at A-Day and came back here saying he had a shot.

I saw AJ, Blake Sims, Blake Barnett, Philip Ely, Luke Del Rio, Cooper Bateman, Alec Morris, David Cornwell, etc... as true freshman. None of them, none of them looked like Hurts did as a true freshman. I downplayed Cornwell starting as a true freshman, I downplayed Barnett starting as one as well. The only one I even gave a remote chance as Hurts (even then I remained doubtful). Furthermore, no incumbent starter at QB has ever been unseated under Saban at Alabama. One would argue even Hurts wouldn't have knocked off JPW, GMac, or AJ. So now we're talking about two things with a remote chance happening simultaneously.

bodiddle said:

Well, last year we didn't have a true freshman as a backup but we did have a true freshman as a starter. So, I don't really see a problem with having a freshman as a backup.

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I do, because A: You are burning his eligibility and B: Less chance to develop. I get that it might happen, purely to appease the incoming freshman or to save a scholarship spot, but it's not an ideal scenario. How is the backup true freshman going to get experience exactly?

I downplayed Barnett starting as one as well.

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Krazy, Barnett actually "started" last year. :wink: Just saying...

CNS also likes to get a QB and stick with him - unless there is a reason to change. In last year's A-Day game, IMO, Hurts looked like the best QB. CNS stuck with the experienced guy until he had to try something different in the USC game. From his press conference statements, the job is Hurts' to lose right now.

Far be it from me to jinx things, but given the physical way Hurts plays, we really need a decent backup, in case of an injury.

To answer the question Krazy raises, I hope the backup(s) get game time in mopup and OOC games. There is no substitute for real game experience.

CNS's statements are what they have to be in any case. He is never going to stoke the media's fire for a qb competition, whether or not there is one. He is never going to throw Hurts under the bus, so to speak, at this juncture. He is never going to pump either true freshman who has never taken a snap. So he said what he had to say, whether or not it is exactly 100% true. In my opinion, there is one reason, in addition to Jalen being the incumbent, which preclude a true competition, and that is the depth chart. We simply cannot afford to have Jalen transfer. It would be disastrous. So unless he completely implodes, there is no way he is not the starter.

BamaMoon said:

I don't think there is a reason for CNS to not assume Jalen will start in the fall since he is a returning starter. With his wealth of experience with slight/moderate improvement in his passing game it would be a monumental upset if Tag or Mac overtakes him.

However, I'm 100% confident if Jalen doesn't improve or regresses in an attempt to improve his passing game AND/OR Tag or Mac just blow past JH's ability to pass the ball down the field and lead the team that the better player will eventually win the #1 qb spot. If not, CNS would be untrue to how he's always operated from day 1.

And then, a 3rd possibility could happen. JH could run the #1 spot thru spring and fall camp and then monumentally struggle against FSU and one of the backups could emerge as a hero and win the game and #1 qb job. Probably unlikely, but anything is possible.

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Heavens to Betsy.


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