ATLANTA — Jalen Hurts saw this moment coming.

While in the team’s training room on Thursday, Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis said Hurts predicted that a moment would come when the game would be “on him” and he would have to help the team to victory in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia.

“He said, ‘I feel like something miraculous is going to happen where I’m going to have to come in, do something special and lead the team again,'” Lewis said. “And he did it. I told him I’m proud of him. He called it.”

Both members of Alabama’s 2016 recruiting class, Lewis and Hurts are friends off the field. Lewis watched as Hurts “stayed ready” each week and worked as a “leader in the shadows” even when after losing his job as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback.

In the oddest twist of fate, Hurts got an opportunity to add to his Alabama legacy against the team that contributed the most to him losing his starting job this season. Hurts entered Saturday’s game with starter and Heisman Trophy hopeful Tua Tagovailoa sidelined with an ankle injury, and with Alabama trailing 28-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Hurts, who led Alabama to the College Football Playoff twice as the starting quarterback, accounted for two touchdowns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a thrilling 35-28 win over Georgia. As he and Tagovailoa stood near each other on stage during the postgame trophy ceremony, both exuded a calm demeanor.

Hurts showed that calm when he found receiver Jerry Jeudy for a 10-yard score to tie the score at 28-28 after a 16-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:08 off the clock. Then he showed why he’s still a dangerous open-field runner with the go-ahead touchdown on a 15-yard quarterback draw for the winning touchdown with a little over one minute left.

In the midst of everything, Hurts also converted a crucial third-and-12 play with a completion to tight end Irv Smith Jr. Hurts accounted for 110 yards and 2 scores when his number was called. He was 7-of-9 for 82 yards passing and rushed 5 times for 28 yards.

“Just a storybook moment. It’s like 30 For 30 type stuff,” Alabama tight end Hale Hentges said. “What a perfect way to return to this place with the opposite (of last season) happening. We’re so proud of Jalen.”

Transfer. Change positions. Ask to be redshirted to save a year of eligibility. Those were among the suggestions some in the Alabama fan base and many outside the program mentioned for Hurts.

The biggest story in Week 5 of the season was whether Hurts would play, eliminating his redshirt option available for those who have played four or fewer games in a season. He played, showing he was a selfless competitor with the team’s best interests at the forefront.

“That’s not who he is,” Smith said of the thought of Hurts transferring. “He gives all his glory to God. Whatever he believes God is planning for him, he’s going to go with that. It showed tonight. It’s awesome to see what he was capable of doing.”

Hurts’ ride over the past three years has been unpredictable. There was the breakout freshman season where he won SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors after out-dueling Blake Barnett for the starting job. Then came the beginning of the downfall, to a degree, when Alabama and Hurts came up short against Deshaun Watson and Clemson in the 2016 national title game.

That certainly wasn’t all on Hurts, but many didn’t see it that way. He remained the starter as a sophomore in 2017, but the rumblings for Tagovailoa couldn’t be quieted.

Then Alabama coach Nick Saban, who clearly struggled with the decision, benched Hurts in the second half of the national championship game last year. There was the quarterback battle this offseason, but Tagovailoa proved to be too special to keep off of the field. Hurts was never deterred.

Teammates watched as Hurts continued to work hard each day. The improvement from working with quarterback coach Dan Enos was noticeable throughout the season. Hurts also spoke up in team meetings despite not having a starting job.

All of that dedication culminated in Hurts getting a shot at rewriting how he’ll be viewed in Alabama history. Hurts stepped in when the Crimson Tide needed him most, and delivered through adversity on the biggest stage of the year.

“He’s so deserving of that moment,” Miller said. “It’s touching to me. It’s touching to all of us. It’s almost like a movie, man.”