The Saban 250, 21-25: The Crimson Tide's Quarterback Competition for the Ages

BamaCentral marks the end of the Nick Saban coaching era with the definitive rankings of his top 250 players with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts and Nick Saban after the SEC Championship Game in December 2018. / Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s hard to say who was more impressive during the 2018 season.

On the one hand, there’s what sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did on the field. By the end of October he was leading the nation in passer efficiency and was on pace to set a new NCAA record in the category it uses to determine the annual passing champion.

Meanwhile, there’s how junior Jalen Hurts handled things. A lot of players in a similar situation would have been negative influence in the locker room after being replaced in the National Championship Game, or left and gone elsewhere with two years of eligibility remaining.

Instead, they’re being called the two best quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference even though they’re on the same team. 

“I've always said how much respect I have for both the guys,” Nick Saban said. “How you handle things when you're in a difficult situation I think speaks volumes of who you are.”

Even though Alabama didn’t win the national championship, the 2018 Crimson Tide will always be remembered for its quarterbacks. For his entire career, Saban had traditionally been known for having run-first and strong-defensive teams, ones that were both physical and intimidating while suffocating opponents. But that changed with this group, or more specifically, these two players.

With Tagovailoa taking over it became an extremely diverse offense that was even more deadly in the air. Alabama was shattering school records left and right, and at times seemed nearly unstoppable. For example, of the first 61 possessions Alabama had with him at quarterback it scored 41 touchdowns and five field goals (74.2 percent). He was averaging a touchdown pass every 6.1 attempts, or 6.4 for his career.

“We're trying to be alpha-dogs on offense,” tight end Hale Hentges said. “That's something that we want people here to say, 'Wow, Alabama is known for their offense.'”

With the overall production off the charts by Alabama’s standards, the Crimson Tide finished October leading the nation in offensive scoring and was second in total offense by averaging 564.3 yards per game.

There was depth at all of the skill positions and Alabama went a strong two-deep on the offensive line. It helped lead to a fun atmosphere on the sideline, but there’s no secret about which position was the one to make the offense go.

“Those two push each other to go harder,” cornerback Trevon Diggs said. “He’s grown a lot. I see a lot of improvement from him.”

Diggs was talking about Hurts with the latter part of that comment, who was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, and while notching 26 wins as starter led Alabama to title games. His passer rating rose so much that he was second behind Tagovailoa in the SEC. Had he enough attempts to qualify nationally Hurts would have been third.

Yet the two 20-year-olds remained tight.

That may have been less in doubt than ever on the Monday after Saban announced Tagovailoa was Alabama’s starter. For the flex period during practice, Hurts had always led the position group as the veteran member. This time he tried to defer. 

“You got it, it’s your team,” Tagovailoa said Hurts told him. “I said no.

“To have someone like Jalen stick with it, knowing that I’d been the starter for two years and to have someone come in front of me now ... the kind of character that he has, and the kind of maturity that he’s shown throughout the year within our team, I think that’s something special.”

Tagovailoa later admitted that he never envisioned a scenario in which he was the starter and Hurts was behind him on the depth chart. 

"Could you tell me that I was going to be the starter with Jalen being here?" Tagovailoa said. "You wouldn't know. Exactly. I never knew, too. I couldn't even tell you that. But that's kind of a hard situation to be in. I couldn't even tell you that answer."

To call it a unique situation as Saban did doesn’t do it justice. Yet somehow, someway, it worked.

They both played.

They were both successful.

They both became better quarterbacks.

“Jalen has certainly improved in the pocket,” Saban said. “There's no doubt about that. There's never been any question about his arm talent. It's always been making decisions, choices, second reads, that type of things, which I think he's really made a lot of improvement on. 

“When he's done those things, he's had really good success. And I think consistency in continuing to do those things is the key to him in the future.”

It’s just that Tua …

Even Saban said that the quarterback exceeded his expectations, to which Tagovailoa told reporters that he must have been joking with them.

He wasn’t. But it helps explain the context to what happened near the end of the 2018 season, when a battered Tagovailoa wasn’t able to continue in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia due to ankle injuries and Saban had to call on Hurts down 28-21 with roughly 11 minutes to go.

Eleven months after he had been pulled from the national title game (against the same team, and at the same location, Atlanta) Hurts threw for one touchdown and ran for another, to lead No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 comeback victory over the No. 4 Bulldogs.

"I've probably never been more proud of a player than Jalen," Saban said.

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The Saban 250: 21-25

The Saban 250 ranks the players who made the biggest impact during his time with the Crimson Tide (2007-23).

21. Jerry Jeudy, WR, 2017-19

• Won 2018 Fred Biletnikoff Award
• 2018 consensus All-American; 2019 All-American
• 2018-19 All-SEC
• No. 15-overall selection in 2020 NFL Draft
• His 26 career touchdown receptions were second all-time in Alabama history
• He’s fourth on the Crimson Tide’s career receiving yards list with 2,742 yards on 159 catches
• The 17.2 average yards per catch for his career was second behind Ozzie Newsome’s 20.3
• During his final game was named MVP of the Citrus Bowl after having a career-best 204 receiving yards on six catches against Michigan
• Had 1,163 receiving yards during his final season, third most in Alabama history, after notching 1,315 the year before when he won the Biletnikoff
• The 19.3 yards per catch in 2018 set a Crimson Tide single-season record (minimum 50 catches), surpassing the previous total of 17.0 by DJ Hall in 2006

22. Jalen Hurts, QB, 2016-18

• 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2016 All-SEC
• Selected in the second round of the 2020 Draft
• Played final season at Oklahoma (finished second for 209 Heisman Trophy)
• First freshman quarterback to start under Nick Saban
• 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year
• Finished fourth all-time at Alabama in winning percentage at 92.9 percent (26-2)
• Owned the all-time record for rushing touchdowns by an Alabama quarterback with 23 through his 42 career games
• Ranked second in career rushing by a quarterback with 1,976 yards and finished second in program history touchdown responsibility with 71
• Accumulated 7,617 yards of total offense, third in Alabama history. Totaled 48 career touchdown passes, third most all-time

23. Dont'a Hightower, LB, 2008-11

• 2011 consensus All-American
• 2011 All-SEC; 2010 second-team All-SEC
• No. 25-overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft
• Was the leading tackler and captain on the 2011 defense, which led the nation in all four major statistical categories (total, scoring, rushing pass-efficiency defense)
• Finished career with 235 tackles, including 21.0 for a loss and five sacks, to go with two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two recovered
• Twice named team captain

24. Mark Barron, S, 2008-11

• 2010 All-American; second-team All-American; 2011 unanimous All-American
• 2009-11 All-SEC
• Seventh-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
• Was so versatile the high-profile prospect was recruited as a linebacker, running back, receiver and tight end in addition to defensive back
• Became a starter a sophomore in 2009 and led the SEC with seven interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Was second in team tackles with 74
• The only returning starter in the 2010 secondary had 77 tackles and three interceptions
• Finished career with 237 tackles, including 13 for a loss and five sacks, 12 interceptions, 22 passes broken up and 34 passes defended
• Twice named team captain

25. Jaylen Waddle, WR, 2018-20

• Named 2019 All-American as return specialist; second-team All-American
• 2019 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year
• 2019-20 second-team All-SEC
• 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year
• Sixth-overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft
• Finished career with 106 receptions for 1999 yards (18.9 average), and 17 touchdowns. On special teams had 38 punt returns for 733 yards (19.3 average) and two scores, plus a touchdown on a kick return
• Had three of the top-five longest scoring receptions in Alabama history despite missing roughly half of his final season due to an ankle injury.
• Averaged 18.9 yards per catch for his career to rank second all-time at Alabama (minimum 100 catches)
• Led all Crimson Tide returners with a 19.3 yards per punt return average over three seasons, nearly six yards better than second place on the career list.
• As a sophomore, led the nation in punt return average at 24.4 yards, with 20 for 487 yards and a touchdown, including a long of 77
• Named to SEC All-Freshman Team in 2018

Oct 3, 2020; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs for a touchdown after catching a long pass from Alabama quarterback Mac Jones (10) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated Texas A&M 52-24. / The Tuscaloosa News-USA TODAY Sports

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The Heart of the 2011 Defense: Dont'a HIghtower

Even after the snap of the ball, the threat may still have not been apparent. That’s the way Alabama coaches wanted it, and drew it up.

Then, suddenly, there’s the blur, either through the middle or from one of the sides, but unmistakable to those who had been following linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

During that instant, imagine what went through the mind of the quarterback, who suddenly knew what was coming and despite wishing to the contrary couldn’t do much to counter. It was already too late, his options were to try and get of the ball and take the oncoming hit, or simply brace himself.

“BAM!” came the initial blow, followed by an airborne moment of almost nothing, sort of like the eye of a hurricane with the peacefulness sandwiched between massive amounts of destruction. Then finally the “THUD” of a gruesome landing amplified by his 6-foot-4, 260-pound body.

“I don’t even know how to describe it, it’s the best feeling in the world,” Hightower said. “Getting a sack … I’d rather get a shot at the quarterback. The first hit you get, when you hit him and he goes “ugh,” or you hear him groan, you hear him moan, you see him get up slow, that’s one of the best feelings you can have.”

Time after time quarterbacks experienced that during the 2011 season, followed by the process of making sure everything was still intact.

Yeah, No. 30 loved it all.

“That makes me just feel incredible,” Hightower said.

So did the season as a whole, with Alabama’s defense doing its rendition of college football’s equivalent to the Death Star. The three-and-out unit knocked quarterbacks out of games, kept every running back from reaching 100 yards, and punished opponent after opponent both physically and on the scoreboard.

A good example was Tennessee. Not only were the Volunteers kept out of the red zone, never mind the end zone, but they failed to get a first down on 10 of 12 possessions. Leading Alabama was Hightower, who nearly returned an interception of a Nico Johnson deflection for a touchdown in addition to notching a sack, two pass break-ups and three quarterback hurries.

Along the way not only did he get in a punishing shot on quarterback Matt Simms, who passed for just 58 yards, but running back Tauren Poole to force an incompletion.

Johnson compared Hightower’s play that night to being a “Wild animal.” Nick Saban called his performance “outstanding.” Even Hightower said it was his best game yet. Consequently, he was named both the Southeastern Conference’s defensive player of the week, and the Lott Impact Trophy’s national player of the week.

“It’s the first game I’ve played that I can actually say that I played with a lot of passion and had a lot of heart for,” said the native of Lewisburg, Tenn., who wanted to show why he opted for Tuscaloosa. “It was a game that I was really looking forward to. Being 3-0, and this might be my last year here, going 4-0 against my home-state team, as good as the rivalry is it means a lot to me, kind of like how the Iron Bowl means a lot to some guys in Alabama. The Tennessee game means that much to me and my family back home.”

Although Hightower was far from being the lone standout on the Alabama defense, which ended up finishing the season ranked No. 1 in all four major team defensive categories (total, scoring, rushing and pass-efficiency defense) he’s the one everything centered around.

In front of him, nose tackle Josh Chapman was the heart of the line and helped clog things up for others to make plays. To the side, Courtney Upshaw was like a tag-team partner, and if one wasn’t making the play it’s usually because the other already did. To the rear, safety Mark Barron topped the team in production points and continued to tackle like his cousin, Hightower. 

“It’s almost as if we take turns,” Hightower said.

Specifically about Upshaw, whom he had a contest with to see who can hit the most quarterbacks, he added:  “I always know where Courtney is. He’s going to make that ball come inside, and he’s going to make the play. That’s happened multiple times. He’s just a wall out there. I know that when they’re running the ball over there Courtney is going to make the tackle 95 percent of the time. “

That was a far cry from the previous season, when things never quite seemed to click, or develop the kind of execution Alabama had on the 2009 national championship team. In addition to the young secondary and numerous key injuries, Hightower was coming off knee surgery and thrown into the middle where he wasn’t comfortable, only to get moved back to weakside linebacker a month into the season.

By 2011, though, he preferred the middle, where he dodn’t have to think to react and everything become more fluid. That’s not only with his playmaking and tackling, but being the guy who made all the calls and adjustments. Hightower even got to the point that he could frequently tell what defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was going to call before signaling it in. 

“Sometimes in practice I do things that Coach Smart is like, ‘I never thought about you can do that,’” he said. “I feel like I’ve gotten to where I can make checks and calls that I year ago I wouldn’t know what the heck I was talking about.

“Last year I could have made the check, but I wouldn’t know why we were doing it, what I was supposed to be doing. That comes with film study, getting with Coach Smart and learning the defense not just as a player, but as a student.”

Thus the extra experience, maturity and leadership translated to the field and helped provide an element that had been lacking. Teammates said it was a lot like when Rolando McClain was at the heart of the defense and won the Butkus Award as the nation’s most outstanding linebacker.

He had a lot of bone-jarring hits as well. The kind where everyone watching held his or her breath because under that airborne linebacker there was a wrapped-up quarterback about to land hard on his backside.  

 “It’s more about bragging rights,” Hightower said.

Alabama defensive players Mark Barron, Marcell Dareus and Dont'a Hightower on the cover of the 2010 Sports Illustrated college football preview /

See also: 26-30 Features a Pair of Beasts, Reuben Foster and Landon Collins

Next up: 15-20