Question: Move Jalen to Slot Receiver?

BamaMoon said:

Good defensive teams proved they knew how to limit Jalen. Until teams show they can stop a Tua led offense I just don't see the attraction of having Jalen coming in knowing he limits what we can do on offense.
No doubt Tua made a couple of big mistakes, but consider the context that he was playing in the highest pressure sitiuation of the whole season you have to acknowledge what he was able to do too.

Will CNS make a calculated decision and consider all the potential and the pitfalls? Sure, but it seems to me that some are straining at gnats to swallow a camel to find problems in Tua's game when in one half of high stakes football he showed more longterm potential than Jalen's shown in two season against the better teams.

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I completely agree. I feel Tua is extraordinary but believe that CNS wakes up the next day and does a what if! His recent comments sort of support that assumption.

As an aside JH is still a teenager and I believe a very conservative young man unlike Tua who is very aggressive on the field. I think that it is reasonable to expect that JH matures at some point and doesn't make the mistakes he repeated in his first two seasons. When that happens no one can say but he may well end up being a good QB even thoughit may not be in Tuscaloosa.

in the second half Bama was basically down by 3 scores. one TD and two FG's. Tua was asked to come in and pull the teams butt out of the fire. if he made the same "mistakes" up by three scores instead of down by three scores my thought process would be "he's a little to reckless with the ball". But, Bama was not up by three scores. at that point you needed a gunslinger with the confidence in his ability and the teams confidence in his ability.

look back at the Clemson tape when Jalen missed a WIDE OPEN Ridley in the end zone for an easy score. the look on his face was one of complete confusion, the look he turned around with was a "***" look. look at the TD he did throw to Ridley in the first half. Ridley was wide open at the top of the route in the endzone. no need for Jalen to scramble then throw a prayer to Calvin.

Not hating on Jalen at all but even after all this time he is not seeing the route and how it will open up. he is waiting for the route to open up. big difference in the two.

UAH said:

I completely agree. I feel Tua is extraordinary but believe that CNS wakes up the next day and does a what if! His recent comments sort of support that assumption.

As an aside JH is still a teenager and I believe a very conservative young man unlike Tua who is very aggressive on the field. I think that it is reasonable to expect that JH matures at some point and doesn't make the mistakes he repeated in his first two seasons. When that happens no one can say but he may well end up being a good QB even thoughit may not be in Tuscaloosa.

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I very much disagree. I don't think Saban plays the "what if" game in retrospect. There is only "what is" - what actually transpired is the only thing that matters.

CNS may do "what ifs" when strategizing for the future but to get caught up in the infinite possibilities of what might have been and eschewing the precious information of what actually occurred would only net him insanity and a comfy padded room.

I agree with the rest of what you say.

UAH said:

I completely agree. I feel Tua is extraordinary but believe that CNS wakes up the next day and does a what if! His recent comments sort of support that assumption.

As an aside JH is still a teenager and I believe a very conservative young man unlike Tua who is very aggressive on the field. I think that it is reasonable to expect that JH matures at some point and doesn't make the mistakes he repeated in his first two seasons. When that happens no one can say but he may well end up being a good QB even thoughit may not be in Tuscaloosa.

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Disagree with the bolded part. His recent actions and words have made it clear that Bama is headed in the direction of a pass first QB, who can read the defense, read the field and is willing and able to make the requisite throws. Yes, he wants the QB to not make mistakes, but the direction of the program has been made quite clear. IMO, it was never CNS's intent to abandon this philosophy, but circumstances essentially dictated Jalen filling the role he has. But the skills that Tua possesses will be the focus from this point forward. Though Jalen should and will be given every opportunity to win the job, I assume he will still be "officially" regarded as the starter, but he is way behind in the skills needed to maintain or gain the job.

BearFan said:

Does you really believe Jalen will be content to stick around doing mop up duty, after being the star for 2 years, unless there is an NFL change of position opportunity plan in the equation that makes sense?

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For this year, yes, because if he's on track to graduate in 3 years he can graduate transfer in 2019 and play somewhere immediately. If he transfers somewhere now he won't be playing until 2019 anyhow so he might as well stay because he might get an opportunity if there's an injury..

CrimsonForce said:

For this year, yes, because if he's on track to graduate in 3 years he can graduate transfer in 2019 and play somewhere immediately. If he transfers somewhere now he won't be playing until 2019 anyhow so he might as well stay because he might get an opportunity if there's an injury..

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Agree fully. There's no need to transfer even if Tua plays every meaningful snap this year. NCAA gives him a break on the graduate transfer rule for when he's a senior (assuming he's on tract to graduate after next year).

BamaInBham said:

Disagree with the bolded part. His recent actions and words have made it clear that Bama is headed in the direction of a pass first QB, who can read the defense, read the field and is willing and able to make the requisite throws. Yes, he wants the QB to not make mistakes, but the direction of the program has been made quite clear. IMO, it was never CNS's intent to abandon this philosophy, but circumstances essentially dictated Jalen filling the role he has. But the skills that Tua possesses will be the focus from this point forward. Though Jalen should and will be given every opportunity to win the job, I assume he will still be "officially" regarded as the starter, but he is way behind in the skills needed to maintain or gain the job.

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For clarification only the comment that CNS made and duly reported here that I referred to in my original post was that, I paraphrase (We have one QB who was struggling to throw the ball and one who threw interceptions.) There is a certain amount of looking back involved in that statement. If I misread that then I am OB.

BamaMoon said:

Agree fully. There's no need to transfer even if Tua plays every meaningful snap this year. NCAA gives him a break on the graduate transfer rule for when he's a senior (assuming he's on tract to graduate after next year).

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What were the conditions that allowed Jake Coker to have two seasons here as a graduate transfer? Did he have a red shirt year at FSU?

UAH said:

What were the conditions that allowed Jake Coker to have two seasons here as a graduate transfer? Did he have a red shirt year at FSU?

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Coker redshirted his freshman year at FSU. Played 2 seasons at FSU with limited play. Graduated FSU and using the Graduate Transfer rule had 2 remaining years of eligibility at UA. Backed up Bake Sims in '14 and got his name writ in Crimson fame in 2015.

UAH said:

What were the conditions that allowed Jake Coker to have two seasons here as a graduate transfer? Did he have a red shirt year at FSU?

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That is key. If Jalen stays he will only have one season left to play after next season because he will play in almost every game. But I see him playing it out at Alabama next year.

B1GTide said:

That is key. If Jalen stays he will only have one season left to play after next season because he will play in almost every game. But I see him playing it out at Alabama next year.

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if he left after spring semester, even though he would have to sit out that year, can he use that as a redshirt year, giving him two remaining years to play where ever he'd theoretically end up?

B1GTide said:

That is key. If Jalen stays he will only have one season left to play after next season because he will play in almost every game. But I see him playing it out at Alabama next year.

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Not necessarily so. He could redshirt unless needed.

Still, if he wants to play in the NFL, and I would assume he does, he'll work at another position.

gtgilbert said:

if he left after spring semester, even though he would have to sit out that year, can he use that as a redshirt year, giving him two remaining years to play where ever he'd theoretically end up?

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Yes. He could redshirt at a new school if he transfers before the 2018 season.

RTR91 said:

Yes. He could redshirt at a new school if he transfers before the 2018 season.

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Yep. 5 years to play 4 and you can take any of those years off as your off year (or red shirt year.)

RTR91 said:

Yes. He could redshirt at a new school if he transfers before the 2018 season.

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Once again I may be the only one on here who believes the Jalen vs Tua deal is not settled. IMO, one of them will not be around for fall camp. If this plays out as most everyone on here has determined then Jalen is gone, sits out a year and still has two years to start at another school and possibly hone his QB skills. It isn't hard to see why we didn't get a QB in this recruiting cycle.

GrayTide said:

Once again I may be the only one on here who believes the Jalen vs Tua deal is not settled. IMO, one of them will not be around for fall camp. If this plays out as most everyone on here has determined then Jalen is gone, sits out a year and still has two years to start at another school and possibly hone his QB skills. It isn't hard to see why we didn't get a QB in this recruiting cycle.

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I think Hurts is more likely to stay if Tagovailoa is the projected starter than vice versa. I don't know what more Tua would have to do to prove he's the better qb, and I seriously doubt he'd sit on the bench 3 years to play 1.

GrayTide said:

Once again I may be the only one on here who believes the Jalen vs Tua deal is not settled.

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I'm curious. Is there anyone else who thinks this isn't Tua's job assuming nothing crazy happens?

Personally, I think it's Tua's job but CNS will try and give Jalen a chance to win it. But it's Tua's job.