A lot of people have been applauding Jalen Hurts for sticking around Alabama as a backup quarterback, but Hurts can still transfer after the season. According to ESPN, Hurts is on pace to graduate in December, which means he would be eligible to be a graduate transfer, even if he plays for Alabama the rest of the season.
There is some confusion based on the new NCAA transfer rules which state that a player can be redshirted if they play in four games or less in one season. If Hurts plays this Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette, he would not be able to redshirt this season. In normal circumstances, this would cause him to have to sit out the 2019 season once he transfers.
However, if Hurts graduates he would be eligible to play immediately next season as a grad transfer. If that is how it plays out, Hurts would be the most coveted graduate transfer since Russell Wilson left NC State for Wisconsin. ESPN listed the following schools as potential destinations for Hurts: Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, UCLA and West Virginia.
CBS Sports Tom Fornelli broke down Hurts’ potential free agency.
Obviously, it depends on what kind of offenses the schools run, but looking around the Power Five, I think most schools would be interested. If I look at the Big Ten, the only teams who might not consider him an upgrade over what they have are Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State. Every other school would likely consider him. At the same time, he’s not a great fit with most Big 12 schools.
Jalen Hurts’ Dad Said His Son Could Be the “Biggest Free Agent in College Football History”
It makes sense for Hurts to continue playing this season rather than redshirt. This is all dependent on him graduating in December, but if he can do so it is a no-brainer for him to continue as the Alabama backup quarterback. He would then use the graduate transfer rule to find a new school for next season. Hurts’ father referenced his son’s potential free agency this spring in an interview with Bleacher Report.
“Coach Saban’s job is to do what’s best for his team,” Averion Hurts told Bleacher Report this offseason. “I have no problem with that,” Averion Hurts said. “My job is to do what’s best for Jalen—and make no mistake, Jalen is a quarterback, and he wants to play quarterback. He loves Alabama, loves Coach Saban and everything about that place. But he wants to play, and he will play…[If Jalen doesn’t play] Well, he’d be the biggest free agent in college football history.”
It appears as though both Kelly Bryant and Hurts could be on the college football “free agent” market after the season. It is something unprecedented in the modern era of college football. In the past, players have avoided transferring because they did not want to have to sit out a season. Under the new redshirt rule, fans should get used to seeing a lot more marquee names transfer in the coming years.
Jalen Hurts Transfer From Alabama Is Still a Possibility