:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62823090/1079277478.jpg.0.jpg)
Waves were made Wednesday when Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts appeared in the college football transfer database (lovingly referred to as the “portal”). Since then, speculation has been rampant about where Hurts will play in 2019. Here’s a rundown of all the schools being mentioned, and a note about each.
The Terps stand out because Hurts’ offensive coordinator, Mike Locksley, is now the head coach. Of course, Locksley was also one of the coaches who decided to start Tua Tagovailoa over Hurts in 2018.
Of all the potential destinations, Oklahoma seems the most set at quarterback - even with Kyler Murray appearing to head to the NFL Draft. The Sooners have Austin Kendall waiting in the wings, whose only crime at this point is losing the starting job to Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and 5-star signee Spencer Rattler is sure to get up to speed rather quickly. This would absolutely be a case of the rich get richer, and you can see the appeal from Hurts’ standpoint - the last two starting quarterbacks at Oklahoma have won the Heisman.
This one strikes me as odd, simply because of the current turmoil of FSU as a program. Sure, they have a need at quarterback, but they’re coming off their first losing season since 1976, and head coach Willie Taggert is now part of an $11.5 million lawsuit filed by a former Oregon player.
I’m sure Bama fans would love this, but the Tigers could use a quarterback after Jarrett Stidham declared for the NFL draft.
An intriguing option, and the closest to home of all the rumored schools at this point. First-year head coach Dana Holgorsen is looking to hit the ground running, but he already has an incredible QB weapon in D’Eriq King. King’s knee injury throws some things into question, but I have a tough time seeing Hurts going to a non-P5 school, no matter that school’s recent track record.
Chip Kelly had a tough year one in Los Angeles, but landing a massive grad transfer may spark season two. If the rumors of Hurts wanting to be close to home are true, though, it seems far fetched to believe he’ll wind up in California.
I really don’t see Hurts staying in the SEC, and I definitely don’t see him going to the SEC East. Tennessee has struggled over the past two seasons, and they could definitely use an upgrade at quarterback, but I don’t see the appeal from Hurts’ point of view.
Miami Hurricanes
After Mark Richt’s sudden retirement, Miami went and snagged defensive coordinator Manny Diaz back from Temple for the head coaching gig. Miami’s quarterback situation is a big mess, which opens the door for a grad transfer. Working against the Hurricanes, though, is the fact that they don’t have an offensive coordinator right now.
A school in Texas, close to home, who has been competitive more often than not - with three top 10 finishes in the past five seasons - and a ton of offensive weapons: all five offensive linemen return, as does Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua. Not to mention Jalen Reagor, Taye Barber, and some promising big receivers in the mix. I’m certainly biased, but TCU is starting to feel like a really good fit.