Let the Speculation Begin! Where Will Jalen Hurts Play in 2019?

AAAND THEY’RE OFF!!

In case you are just now coming out of a media blackout started about the time Mac Jones was slammed to the ground, you probably have already heard that Jalen Hurts’ name has been entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Speculation as to where he might land is rampant. I don’t personally know Hurts or anyone in his family but let’s shake some trees and see what falls.

GEOGRAPHY

It would seem logical that the native Texan would want to stay in the southeast, Texas, Oklahoma, or perhaps Arizona.

EXCEPTIONS

The only places that might have a prayer of luring him north of the Mason-Dixon line would have to be elite programs. These could include Washington, Oregon, Michigan or Ohio State. However, these teams may not make the cut (keep reading).

JUST WIN, BABY!

How important is winning to him? Does he want to go to Arkansas and get sacked 49 times a game? Additionally, I can’t imagine him going to a non-Power 5 team except maybe one (see below). Add onto that rebuilding teams as a unlikely destination. If all those factors are true, that would eliminate teams like Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Miami, Cal, UNC, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, K-State, Baylor, and Nebraska, among others.

EXCEPTIONS

Vanderbilt might be an interesting choice. Kyle Shurmur is gone and Vandy is not a bad place to continue an education. Playing under Chip Kelly at UCLA could be advantageous. The same could be said for Herm Edwards at Arizona State. Imagine the knowledge he could gather in that situation.

YOU DA MAN

Nobody has ever accused Hurts of not being a competitor. However for his final season, it doesn’t seem like he would be too enthused about another quarterback controversy. More than likely, he wants to go where there is no returning starter and his path is clearer to the starting role. Although he is probably better than someone like FSU’s Deondre Francois, who announced Wednesday that he would return, Hurts probably won’t take that path.

That would also eliminate teams like Texas A&M (Kellen Mond), Florida (Feleipe Franks/Emory Jones), UGA (Jake Fromm), Michigan (Shea Patterson), Notre Dame (Ian Book), LSU (Joe Burrow), Ohio State (Tate Martell and potentially Justin Fields), Washington (Jacob Eason), South Carolina (Jake Bentley), Clemson (Sunshine), UK (Terry Wilson), Oregon (Justin Herbert), Stanford (K.J. Costello), Southern Cal (JT Daniels), Utah (Tyler Huntley), Arizona (Khalil Tate), Mizzou (Kelly Bryant/Shawn Robinson), Virginia Tech (Ryan Willis), Baylor (Charlie Brewer), Tejas (Sam Ehlinger/Shane Buechele), Houston (D’Eriq King), Tennessee (Jarrett Guarantano), et al.

I know everyone is saying Tennessee blah blah blah Jeremy Pruitt former Bama coach blah blah blah but he was on the defensive side. Which leads to the next ASSumed criteria.

JUST TOO FULL OF ALABAMA

Remember Jalen Hurts proudly graduated from Alabama like many of you have. Do you really believe he could put on the orange of Tennessee or Auburn any more than you could? He did it once and that was once too many.

ZZZZZZzzzz

There are a few others that don’t fill the above agenda but just seem boring and not much of a destination to help his NFL stock. These include places like Virginia and Wake Forest.

WHAT’S LEFT?

TCU - He is from Texas and the Horned Frogs need a quarterback bad.

OKLAHOMA - The transfer formula has worked pretty well for the Sooners.

OKLAHOMA STATE - Sounds boring but they passed the ball so much it got Mason Rudolph to the NFL.

WEST VIRGINIA - A good team in need of a quarterback but a new coach at the helm with no P5 head coaching experience.

MARYLAND - He can play for Mike Locksley and there is familiarity but the Terps are a troubled program looking to start over. Can he become an NFL prospect in this environment?

ARIZONA STATE - As mentioned above, playing for Herm Edwards could be a great opportunity. The Sun Devils coach had much more success in his first year in Tempe than many believed he would. Year 2 should be better.

VANDERBILT - Not likely, but maybe...?

FAU - Would he have interest in reuniting with Lane Kiffin? Hurts’ his former OC would probably be willing to sacrifice everything to spotlight his fomer pupil. It’s unlikely but it would be fun to watch.

ALABAMA - Could he have a change of heart and come back to the Capstone?

OTHER - Maybe I am completely off my rocker like every other joker on Twitter. Give us your choice in comments. Who says he doesn’t sign with Clemson?