Jalen Hurts college debate: Which of Alabama, Oklahoma has best claim to Eagles QB?

An intense debate is raging in college soccer circles: Which crimson-colored program has the best claim to Jalen Hurts?

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The Eagles quarterback — about the one truth everybody within the debate can agree on — created a stir following his workforce’s 38-7 win over the Giants within the divisional spherical, a recreation during which he threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for an additional. A reporter requested him in regards to the success of Oklahoma quarterbacks within the NFL. His response:

With that innocuous assertion, Hurts unwittingly created a debate that has generated heated responses on either side: Which has the higher claim to Hurts, Alabama or Oklahoma?

The third-year signal-caller has been nothing if not diplomatic in answeing that query, claiming each colleges when requested (even displaying artwork that celebrates his time with both teams). When offered the chance to put the controversy to relaxation on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 6 — and again in Week 14 — Hurts as a substitute provided up Channelview High School in Houston.

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That indicated Hurts does not claim one faculty, however each. But soccer is as tribalistic a sport there may be, and his reply wasn’t sufficient for some followers of the applications. The debate might by no means finish for as lengthy Hurts continues to play.

The Sporting News appears to be like on the best claims Alabama and Oklahoma could make on Hurts.

Did Jalen Hurts graduate from Oklahoma?

Hurts attended Oklahoma in 2019 as a grasp’s pupil in human relations, however there isn’t a document of him having graduated. Hurts graduated from Alabama in December 2018 with a bachelor’s diploma in public relations. He minored in communication research.

That allowed him to be thought of a graduate switch by the NCAA, thus permitting him to play instantly for the Sooners in 2019 after transferring from Alabama.

Jalen Hurts’ Senior Bowl helmet

Another level of rivalry within the Hurts college sweepstakes: the helmet he wore on the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Riddell provided him a customized break up helmet that includes Oklahoma’s block “OU” on one aspect and the No. 2 — the quantity Hurts wore at Alabama — on the opposite.

Hurts appeared to admire the gesture, which celebrated his success at each applications, however nonetheless wore an Oklahoma helmet on the Senior Bowl. That stated, he did take time to reunite along with his former coach:

MORE: Why Nick Saban advised Jalen Hurts to transfer to Oklahoma over Maryland, Miami

Jalen Hurts college timeline

Alabama (2016-18)

Hurts performed at Alabama from 2016 via 2018, going 26-2 as a starter. In 2016, he grew to become the primary freshman to begin at quarterback for the Crimson Tide since Vince Sutton in 1984.

Hurts was voted SEC Offensive Player of the Year whereas main Alabama to a 12-0 regular-season document. The Tide captured the SEC championship and a victory over Washington within the Peach Bowl earlier than falling to Clemson within the 2017 College Football Playoff championship recreation.

Hurts was once more the starter in 2017 and led Alabama to an 11-1 regular-season document. Though he could not assist the Crimson Tide repeat as SEC champions following a loss to Auburn, Alabama made the Playoff for the second consecutive season, this time as a No. 4 seed. Hurts exacted revenge towards Clemson within the Sugar Bowl, main Alabama to a 24-6 victory and a berth within the 2017 CFP title recreation.

Hurts struggled within the first half vs. Georgia, which jumped out to a 13-0 halftime lead. Alabama coach Nick Saban benched Hurts in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who led the Crimson Tide again in a 26-23 additional time victory.

MORE: 2020 NFL Draft, revisited: How Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts all landed in right spots

That choice created the spark of ongoing arguments, with many Alabama opponents utilizing that to argue towards the Crimson Tide’s claim to Hurts.

Regardless, Hurts returned to Tuscaloosa in 2018, this time as a backup to Tagovailoa. He remained in that place all through the season, principally enjoying in mop-up obligation.

That is, till Tagovailoa went down with an damage vs. Georgia within the 2018 SEC championship recreation. Hurts led two scoring drives to assist Alabama beat the Bulldogs 28-21 in the identical stadium the place he was benched the yr prior.

Alabama performed Oklahoma in that season’s Orange Bowl semifinal. Following one other title-game loss to Clemson, this time with Tagovailoa on the helm, Hurts determined to spend his final season of eligibility elsewhere.

Hurts introduced his choice to switch to Oklahoma in a 2019 article in The Players’ Tribune. Though he did not break down his choice, he did have this to say about Alabama:

Now, I’m an alumnus of the University of Alabama.

Now I’m Bama for LIFE — and that proper there’ll by no means change!

But now it’s additionally time for me to begin a brand new chapter in my story.

Saban, nonetheless, detailed the dialogue he and Hurts had that led to Hurts selecting to transfer to Norman:

“And I remember him coming into me and saying (he) could go to Miami because the quarterback coach had gone to Miami as the offensive coordinator — the quarterback coach here, Dan Enos,” Saban stated. “Mike Locksley received the top teaching job at Maryland. ‘I might go to Maryland or I might go to Oklahoma.’

“I said, ‘Jalen, where do they have the best players?'” Saban stated. “Because he felt extra snug going the place he knew these guys. And he stated, ‘Well, I believe they received the best gamers at Oklahoma.’ I stated, ‘Well, we simply performed them. I believe they received some fairly good gamers on offense, too.’

“I said, ‘I’ve always told you that quarterback is a hard position to play if you don’t have good players around you. So if I was you, to create the most value — because you’ve got one year to do it — if you know you can be the starter there, go where they have the best players.'”

Oklahoma (2019)

Hurts spent his remaining collegiate season in Norman, the place he led the Sooners to a 12-1 document, the Big 12 championship and a second consecutive College Football Playoff berth. He grew to become the one quarterback in historical past to lead two completely different applications to the CFP. Once once more, his season ended with a loss within the Playoff, this time to Joe Burrow and LSU within the 2019 Peach Bowl.

Hurts loved his biggest statistical season in college at Oklahoma. He set profession highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns, dashing yards and dashing touchdowns. He grew to become the third Sooners quarterback in a row to end as a Heisman Trophy finalist underneath former Sooners coach Lincoln Riley. He adopted Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, who received the award in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

How does the NFL record Jalen Hurts’ college?

The NFL’s official communications employees have on a number of events referred to Hurts as a quarterback from Oklahoma — a coverage that lists gamers’ most up-to-date college workforce in the event that they attended a couple of.

Hurts’ Eagles bio likewise lists Oklahoma as his college, and Alabama didn’t point out Hurts in an official release about gamers chosen within the 2020 NFL Draft. Commissioner Roger Goodell — the best authority within the league — stated “Oklahoma” when calling Hurts’ title within the 2020 NFL Draft.

MORE: Nick Sirianni compares Jalen Hurts to Michael Jordan after Eagles’ dominant win over Giants

But this is not an NFL difficulty: it is a college soccer one, and Alabama and Oklahoma each have reputable claims to the a participant who has embraced each colleges throughout his post-collegiate profession.

One factor is definite, nonetheless: each might be blissful to see him excel within the NFL — beginning with an Eagles run to the Super Bowl.