Oct 20, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) runs the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Alabama won 58 to 21. Photo Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has announced his intention to transfer to Oklahoma via The Players’ Tribune.
Hurts was Alabama’s starting quarterback from 2016-17. As a true freshman in ’16, he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
He passed for 2,780 (62.8 completion percentage) yards and 23 touchdowns — with nine interceptions — and finished the season with a quarterback rating of 139.12 as a rookie QB. He rushed for a total of 954 yards and 13 touchdowns and broke the school’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback, surpassing Steadman Shealy previous record of 791 yards.
Hurts finished the 2016 season with 36 overall touchdowns, which broke Blake Sims’ previous record for touchdowns in a single season for the Crimson Tide with a total of 35 in 2014.
Hurts became the first quarterback coached by Nick Saban to rush for more than 11 touchdowns in a single season. He was the first player in Alabama history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game, and the first quarterback to rush for 120 yards or more in multiple games. In the Iron Bowl game against Auburn, Hurts completed 75 percent of his passes, which set a new Iron Bowl record. Alabama concluded its 2016 regular season with a perfect 12–0 (8–0 SEC) record.
Alabama eventually lost to Clemson in the College Football Playoff.
In 2017, Hurts led the Crimson Tide to a 13-1 season and a No. 4 seed in the CFP Playoff. He finished the season with 2,081 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, and one interception to go along with 855 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
This past season, Hurts served as backup to Tua Tagovailoa, but still played a significant role on the team. He completed 51 of 70 passes for 765 yards and eight TDs — with only two interceptions. He rushed for 167 and two TDs.
