Paul Finebaum has been a big supporter of Jalen Hurts this offseason despite the mounting hype surrounding Tua Tagovailoa fresh off the rising sophomore’s epic second-half performance in the National Championship Game. However, that support appears to be waning at this point, following the conclusion of spring practice in Tuscaloosa.

Following Hurts’ subpar performance in Alabama’s nationally-televised A-Day spring game on Saturday, third-string quarterback Mac Jones looked like the best quarterback on the field in the contest, Finebaum suggests the writing is on the wall for Hurts’ chances to win the starting job this offseason.

Adding an extra layer of drama to the situation, Tua’s younger brother Taulia committed to Alabama over the weekend.

During his weekly Monday morning appearance on Birmingham-based WJOX 94.5 FM radio program The Roundtable, Finebaum offered up his thoughts on the QB competition in Tuscaloosa following A-Day.

“Unfortunately, for Jalen Hurts, he goes out there and plays like we’ve seen so often against good teams… And it wasn’t what Saban said there, it was what he didn’t say,” Finebaum said on the program. “I think I remember Saban saying something after the game like, ‘I’m not disappointed in Jalen.’

“Well, that means he was. We all know how to understand Nick Saban now after 10 years. And I didn’t see platitudes for Jalen Hurts. I didn’t see a lot of, ‘We’re encouraged by what we saw.’ When the No. 3 quarterback (Mac Jones), a guy who most of us never heard of until Saturday, gets more praise than Jalen Hurts, then anyone can figure it out. You don’t need a meteorologist to see which way the wind is blowing.”

Finebaum was then asked if Hurts would be on the team when Alabama travels to Orlando to open the season against Louisville.

“I still believe he’ll be there,” Finebaum answered. “In spite of what his dad said the other day, Jim, did you see the greatest free agent in college football history on the field Saturday? I didn’t. I saw Jalen Hurts, with someone who I have a great deal of admiration for and who I still believe can get Alabama to the championship game every year, it’s just a matter of whether he can win the one or two biggest games on the schedule.

“We’re not talking about Jalen Hurts being an inferior quarterback in the SEC; we know he’s not. It’s just is he the type of quarterback that turns the corner for Alabama in those critical games? Because Alabama has only about a two- or three-game season. We know that. And it’s what they do in those games defines whether they win or lose a national championship.”