Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts announced in an essay for The Players’ Tribune that he will transfer to the University of Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility.
Hurts is a graduate transfer, so he can suit up for the 2019 season at the school that produced the past two Heisman Trophy winners in quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield.
Hurts also visited with Maryland and Miami. New Terrapins coach Mike Locksley was Hurts’ offensive coordinator at Alabama, leading some to hope they would reunite in College Park.
Instead, the Terrapins missed out on one of the several de facto “free agents” available in the college football landscape. Other quarterbacks who transferred this week included Brandon Wimbush from Notre Dame to Central Florida and Tate Martell from Ohio State to Miami.
Hurts was benched at halftime of the 2018 national championship game in favor of Tagovailoa, and many months later he officially lost the Rolling Tide starting job, but stuck around as Tagovailoa’s backup for the 2018 season. He subbed in when Tagovailoa was injured in last season’s SEC title game and led Alabama to a 35-28 win over Georgia.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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