Kirk Herbstreit suggests Alabama's offense can only go so far with Jalen Hurts under center

If Kirk Herbstreit is accurate in his assessment of Alabama’s offense, Nick Saban will have little choice but to start Tua Tagovailoa next season.

During a Tuesday teleconference, the ESPN college football analyst shared his thoughts on the current quarterback competition between Jalen Hurts and Tagovailoa. Despite the fact that Hurts has led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back National Championship Game appearances, Tagovailoa deserves the credit for delivering the latest title to Saban’s program.

That’s a perception that the College GameDay host seems to share, as he stated his belief that Alabama’s offense is limited with Hurts leading the offense, according to Charlie Potter of 247Sports:

Herbstreit: "The offense kind of leveled off, and I think it had a lot to do with Jalen Hurts. They became a little bit more conservative, a little bit more predictable … and I think that's why when Tua (Tagovailoa) came into the game, it was as if the receivers' eyes lit up."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) April 17, 2018

While Tagovailoa’s spring injury certainly throws a wrench into the competition, it appears we can add Herbstreit to the growing list of voices that believe it’s the sophomore’s job to lose this offseason.

Herbstreit also touched on Calvin Ridley and his stock heading into the 2018 NFL Draft. According to the ESPN analyst, Ridley would likely be the first receiver he took in the draft:

Herbstreit on Calvin Ridley: "I don't know if there's a better receiver in the draft. His route running is exceptional. His acceleration, getting in and out of breaks. When he gets the ball in his hands, you hold your breath with what he can do."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) April 17, 2018