Why Gary Danielson thinks Jalen Hurts' decision to remain at Alabama will make him 'a better player'
Much has been made of Jalen Hurts’ willingness to take a backseat to Tua Tagovailoa in Alabama’s quarterback rotation.
But one analyst believes his decision to remain on the team isn’t entirely out of selflessness.
In a radio appearance Wednesday, Gary Danielson of the SEC on CBS said Hurts has a good reason to stick it out with the Crimson Tide rather than transferring, according to a report from AL.com.
“I know he is (sacrificing for the team), but I don’t think he’s just sacrificing himself for Alabama. I think he actually believes this will make him a better player in the long run as well.
“Jalen has put the team in front of his immediate goals. The hidden story is Jalen Hurts thinks if he transfers to play two years, the place he would go would use Jalen the way he was used previously at Alabama as a running quarterback and(not) hone his NFL skills.
“What I think Jalen has decided this year is he likes the coaching he’s getting in this new type of offense Alabama has. Dan Enos is doing a great job with him. This Alabama offense is what he wants to be. He wants to be an NFL quarterback. I think he fears if he just transfers somewhere else he’ll just be the quarterback he was at Alabama. He knows how to run the quarterback draw and the bootleg. He wants to be more of an NFL-style quarterback. He’s willing to commit this year — with these athletes — to hone his skills and I think he’ll have more options.”
Danielson may have a point. While Tagovailoa has cemented himself as the starter, Hurts is still getting a good bit of playing time thanks to Alabama’s tendency to race out to huge leads by halftime.
Whether Danielson is right or not, it appears Hurts doesn’t have any intention of leaving the program.