By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Two years in, Jalen Hurts has taken Alabama to two College Football Playoff Finals.

Alabama has a rare situation at the game’s most important position. Head coach Nick Saban has two accomplished and skilled quarterbacks on his roster in junior Jalen Hurts and sophomore Tua Tagovailoa. Both standouts appear more-than-capable of leading the Crimson Tide forward and are, individually, two of the top talents in the country. Hurts is a remarkable 26-2 as a starting quarterback. Even if he never threw another pass, Tagovailoa is already an Alabama legend after his now-iconic performance in the College Football Playoff Final.

Who knows what the future holds in Tuscaloosa, but Hurts’ history, before he takes a single upperclassman snap, is worth noting. His accomplishments are considerable; by some measures, they are even beyond compare. Winning games aside, Hurts has brought a dynamic, dual-threat ability to the field, along with an efficiency that very few signal callers can match. Tagovailoa absolutely led Alabama’s title-game comeback and may have more overall upside than any quarterback around, but the resume that Hurts has should be appreciated and revered.

In addition to the multiple records Hurts already holds, the totals below frame his production.

Jalen Hurts’ Career Statistics (2016-2017)
Freshman Passing: 240-of-382 for 2,789 yards, 23 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
Freshman Rushing: 191 attempts for 954 yards, 13 touchdowns
Sophomore Passing: 154-of-254 for 2,081 yards, 17 touchdowns, 1 interception
Sophomore Rushing: 154 attempts for 855 yards, 8 touchdowns
Total Passing: 394-of-636 for 4,861 yards, 40 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
Total Rushing: 345 attempts for 1,809 yards, 21 touchdowns

Since 2000, Hurts is the only quarterback in college football with at least 4,500 career passing yards, 40 touchdowns and ten or fewer interceptions to go along with more than 1,100 yards rushing. He is also the lone signal caller this millennium with a single season with more than 15 touchdown passes, fewer than five interceptions, 60% passing and 800 rushing yards, as was the case this past fall. In terms of well-rounded effectiveness, Hurts doesn’t have many peers.

For point of reference, Hurts currently has a career quarterback rating higher than the likes of SEC legends Tim Couch, David Greene and Eli Manning. Hurts, last season, rushed for more yards than Ralph Webb. Two years ago, Hurts rushed for more yards than Kerryon Johnson. Over the past pair of seasons, the Alabama signal caller has more rushing touchdowns than Sony Michel.

The top three winningest P5 quarterbacks ever are Colt McCoy (45), David Greene (42) and Peyton Manning (39). Hurts already has 26 victories, before the start of his junior year.

Two years in, Hurts has taken Alabama to two College Football Playoff Finals. In his first season, he was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. In his second, Hurts won a national title. The Texas-native officially introduced himself with four total touchdowns in a high-profile debut against Southern Cal, a contest the Crimson Tide won 52-6. Hurts has been a big name nationally ever since.

Saban has stated that both Hurts and Tagovailoa will play in Alabama’s week one pairing with Louisville. Plenty of storylines are sure to follow. Regardless of what happens, Hurts has proven to be uniquely impactful and successful at college football’s highest level.