Jalen Hurts remained loyal to Nick Saban and Alabama even after he lost his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa last season, but we may see him playing for a different program in 2019.
According to multiple reports, Hurts has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. While that does not necessarily mean the quarterback is leaving Alabama, it gives other schools permission to contact him.
From a source: Jalen Hurts' name is now in the transfer portal.
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) January 9, 2019
Hurts has one year of eligibility remaining, but he would be eligible to play immediately at a new school as a graduate transfer. He graduated from Alabama in December, which was remarkably only midway through his junior year. Hurts received a standing ovation while walking across the stage to get his diploma.
There was speculation that Hurts could take a redshirt year this past season to preserve an additional year of eligibility, but he did not end up doing that. In fact, he played a big role in Alabama’s win over Georgia in the SEC Championship after Tagovailoa got hurt, and many felt the Tide could have used him during their blowout loss to Clemson in the National Championship Game.
Hurts was critical of Alabama’s coaching staff for the way they handled the team’s quarterback situation this past year, so it is not a surprise that he is exploring other possibilities. With Tagovailoa returning in 2019, Hurts’ best shot at playing in the NFL is to start for another school next season.
