ATLANTA – Alabama coach Nick Saban said he’s unsure whether Jalen Hurts will be on the roster when the Crimson Tide play Louisville in the season-opener on Sept. 1.
Like a lot of positions on his team, Saban said the quarterback battle between Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa is still “to be determined.” Complicating matters is the prospect that the backup might transfer.
“I have no idea,” Saban said of Hurts’ future. “I expect him to be there.”
He added: “We are hopeful he will stay and be a graduate, regardless of his circumstances as a player.”
Saban made the decision to bench Hurts at halftime of the national championship game when Alabama trailed Georgia, 13-0. Tagovailoa then came on and threw three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
Hurts, who won SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a true freshman in 2016, followed it up by throwing for 2,081 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception as a sophomore last season. He also rushed for 855 yards and eight touchdowns. All told, he has a record of 26-2 as a starter.
Tagovailoa served as Hurts’ primary backup all season, appearing in eight games. He completed 49 of 77 passes for 636 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Saban said he understands that everyone will want to make his team’s quarterback battle a top point of controversy, but he said he’s not in a hurry to make a decision and that both players are “capable”
“It’s still to be determined who will play quarterback,” Saban said. “… We’ll have to see who wins the team in fall camp.”
Whoever finishes the competition as the backup could benefit from a new rule that allows players to compete in four games without losing the possibility of taking a redshirt and retaining a year of eligibility.
Hurts, who was enrolled early as a freshman, is set to graduate in December and would be able to transfer without having to sit out a year to regain eligibility.
The Crimson Tide open the season against Louisville on Sept. 1 in Orlando.
Like Alabama, the Cardinals begin fall camp without an incumbent starter at quarterback after Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson left school early to enter the NFL draft.