Alabama Football: Why Play Quarterback for Dream Killer?
While Alabama football sends players to the NFL like it is a player factory, they struggle to send any meaningful players from the game’s most prominent position.
Yes. Before we get started, I have called Lane Kiffin a quarterback mastermind before. I’ve been quite complementary of the offensive coordinator. You can read my positive reviews here, I don’t hide from them. Alabama football has seen their offensive production increase tremendously with Kiffin at the helm.
In the article linked above, I give credit to Kiffin for turning two 3 star quarterback recruits into Alabama football record breakers. The offensive record books for Alabama football have been rewritten with Blake Sims and Jake Coker the last two years. But it still doesn’t make sense for an elite prospect to want to go there. Hear me out.
Last week 4-star pro style quarterback Mac Jones flipped his commitment to play for Alabama football. He joined another 4-star prospect in dual threat quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Most teams struggle to sign 4-star quarterbacks annually, let alone two in one class.
I know, most teams aren’t Alabama football. Trust me, I understand the draw. Alabama football wins National Championships and sends players to the NFL at an impressive rate. They’ve also sent players to the NFL from nearly every position and had great success under Nick Saban. With one exception: quarterback.
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One would think Nick Saban’s style of offense would help his quarterbacks make it to the league. Instead, though, Tide quarterbacks have struggled to even have a cup of coffee with an NFL team (outside of AJ McCarron, who is also no world beater backing up Andy Dalton).
4-star dual threat quarterback Jalen Hurts committed to the Tide in 2016, likely inspired by the dual threat ways of Sims and — to an extent — Coker. Hurts joined an Alabama football team that already had 2015 5-star pro style quarterback Blake Barnett on it. Barnett’s only claim to fame, by the way, is being the starting quarterback for Alabama’s only loss in 2016. So two more 4-start quarterbacks are joining a team loaded with quarterbacks.
They do understand that only one can play at a time, right? What is the draw to playing quarterback for Alabama football, especially knowing you’ll likely redshirt and may never see the field. Don’t think it’s true? Let’s go even further back and check out some of the other quarterbacks to commit to Alabama football — many you likely have never heard of since.
2014: 4-star pro style David Cornwell
2013: 4-star pro style Cooper Bateman, 3-star pro style Parker McLeod
2012: 3-star pro style Alec Morris
2011: 3-star pro style Phillip Ely
2010: 5-star pro style Phillip Sims
2010: 4-star pro AJ McCarron
2008: 4-star pro style Star Jackson
2007: 3-star pro style Nick Fanuzzi
must read: Alabama-Tennessee 2 or Field for SEC Championship?
You tell me where they’ve taken an elite prospect and put him in the NFL. Sure Lane Kiffin has turned two duds into studs at Alabama football in the last two years, but do you really think Kiffin will be around more than three years? He has already gotten a ton of attention for head coaching positions and that is sure to only intensify if he continues churning out elite offenses at Alabama. While I could understand a lineman, wide receiver, running back, defensive back or linebacker wanting to make their legacy for Alabama football, it simply doesn’t make sense for quarterbacks to want to play their right now.
Unless, of course, ya know…winning national championships is kind of a big deal.
*All quarterbacks and their ratings taken from 247.com*