“Jalen Hurts is a winner.”
It was one of the final quotes from former Alabama Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley after Jalen Hurts’ tumultuous tenure in Tuscaloosa.
As a member of the Crimson Tide, Hurts was 26-2 as a starter with 2 National Championship rings. He passed for 5,626 yards and 48 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,976 yards and another 23 scores.
Then he was benched for the now-famous Heisman finalist Tua Tagovailoa.
The full story of his journey can be found here: Jalen Hurts Is College Football.
After transferring to the University of Oklahoma, Hurts picked up right where he left off before being benched. He took the reigns as the Sooners’ starting QB and has already racked up 3,347 yards through the air and another 1,217 on the ground, amassing 49 total TDs in the process.
On November 16, he led an historic comeback versus a talented Baylor Bears squad, where he led the Sooners back from a 28-3 deficit.
Now he’s playing for a Big 12 Championship. OU will lock horns with Baylor once again, now as the #6 and #7 teams in the nation, respectively.
If Jalen Hurts can pull off the win, he will also give his team a shot at a National Championship – there is a lot at stake. But Jalen is ready.
In an open letter through the Player’s Tribune, he identified that the challenges he faced last year were “not something [I was] stuck in… [it was] something [I was] going through.” Where many would have fallen back, be charged forward.
He continued, “one thing I can promise you is that I’m better off for having gone through it. Everthing I dealt with at Bama: I’m stronger for it. I’m wiser. I’m a better man.”
He has physical gifts, sure. But it’s the mind of Jalen Hurts that has allowed for a nearly unmatched amount of success as a college football player. His approach is something many aspiring athletes should pay attention to.
But will it be enough to beat Baylor? We’ll see.
Depends on how you define the key. Some would argue that with how Jalen has played in Lincoln Riley’s offense this season that if anything he would be a constant (we know he will show up). Personally, I think the key is CeeDee Lamb – guy has struggled in recent weeks but is as good as any receiver in the country when he’s on!