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| Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts warms up before the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta. Photo by David Tulis/UPI |
By The Sports Xchange
The idea of Alabama backup quarterback Jalen Hurts possibly redshirting this season came to an end Saturday.
Hurts was inserted into Saturday's matchup for the top-ranked Crimson Tide against overmatched Louisiana, marking the fifth game he has appeared in this season.
Per a new NCAA rule this season, a player can appear in as many as four games and still qualify for a redshirt season.
A report by the Athletic earlier this month suggested Hurts was planning to take that route due to his frustration over the quarterback controversy and how it was handled by the team's coaching staff.
Tua Tagovailoa supplanted Hurts as the starter this season, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said he still plans to take advantage of Hurts' skill set.
Hurts guided Alabama to the national championship game against Georgia last season, but he was replaced in the second half by Tagovailoa, who rallied the Crimson Tide to a 26-23 victory.
The former SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Hurts entered this season having started the previous 28 games for Alabama, posting a 26-2 record.
Entering Saturday's contest, Hurts completed 22 of 31 passes for 276 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in the Crimson Tide's first four games. He also rushed 15 times for 54 yards.
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