Jalen Hurts left Alabama primarily because of his benching in favor of Tua Tagovailoa during the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game. Hurts started for Alabama as a freshman and had great success, but in the 2018 championship game against Georgia, he was pulled at halftime due to an ineffective performance and was replaced by Tagovailoa, who led Alabama to victory. The following season, Hurts remained Tagovailoa’s backup despite his strong record as a starter. Given limited playing time and wanting more experience as a downfield passer, Hurts decided to transfer to Oklahoma for his final college season. The transfer helped him develop further, enhance his draft prospects, and ultimately led to his NFL career. In summary, the main reasons Hurts left Alabama were:
- Benching in the 2018 championship game and subsequent loss of starting job to Tagovailoa
- Desire for more playing time and to improve his passing skills
- Seeking a system (Oklahoma's Air Raid offense) that would showcase his talents better for the NFL
Alabama coach Nick Saban even advised him to go to Oklahoma for development and success chances.
