While I have to say I think that ship has sailed at Alabama... there's no "good" scenario in which Hurts starts for Alabama. The only way now is if Tua is injured.
I really wanted Tua to redshirt, and that might seem dumb or naive, but part of that was I got how good Tua could be. I just hoped, and I have to admit overall I was wrong but I think some factors were working against Hurts, that Hurts could put things together while Tua saved his eligibility and developed on the bench. I knew a battle for the starting job was coming at some point, I just wanted that delayed, perhaps for some misguided loyalty toward Hurts. Or may be I wanted to have my cake and eat it to, even the biggest Hurts detractors have to admit Alabama still came really close to a title with Hurts, and I still think with just a little more going his way he'd have had what it took to win.
With Hurts, I think it has become a story of half fact half fiction. I'd say he was SEC Player of the year, someone else would counter about his limitations at the position. I'd point out he's a top rated quarterback, and someone would counter he struggles making reads. I'd say he's a great leader, and someone could point out he lost the locker room. I could point out that he lead Alabama to comebacks against Ole Miss and Miss. State and someone else would point out he struggled in losses to Auburn and Clemson. There's this real glass half empty glass half full thing with Hurts.
Even with me personally, there was this roller coaster of, there's no way a true freshman would start for Alabama, that's bad for his development, to after the spring game saying yeah, he might start. Then, on the flip side I go from no way he should lose his starting job, look at all the things he's done to yeah, Tua needs to come into the game. It's kind of amazing that he's manage to both defy my expectations and then fall short of them. I'm inclined though to point at musical chairs at OCs, to point out the pressure of the situation, the fact that he's still a teenager, still younger than basically everyone else that started a full season under Saban. But you can't unring that bell. I don't see a way for things to change while he's at Alabama, not unless something really bad happens, so I'm actually torn between wanting him as one of the best backups in college football, and wanting him to go transfer, use his redshirt year, and get his shot at developing into the quarterback I still think he can become.
The real amazing thing here is he's one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Alabama history, and he could still be on a college campus for three more years! He's already lead the team to two title games. There's this alternate reality out there in which Hurts is on track to become one of if not the greatest college football quarterback ever. That might sound nuts, but a few things go differently and he'd have two titles right now. I looked up Alabama stats, and Jalen Hurts is already #2 in total TDs at Alabama. He's second only to AJ, who made 19 more in one more season. He's third in total yards, behind two players who started three seasons. Strictly as a passer though, he's also made his mark. He's 4th in passing TDs, but only 7 from second place. It's hypothetically possible he takes second place as a backup. He's also 8th in passing yards. No matter what, he's already had an amazing career at Alabama.
