How Miami Missed Out On A Heisman Contender and Super Bowl QB

Once former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 National Championship, it signaled a changing of the guards in Tuscaloosa. But before Hurts headed over to Norman to play under Lincoln Riley, he almost found himself in Coral Gables.

Jalen Hurts was planning on transferring to either Miami or Maryland the year after being benched for Tua Tagovailoa, according to Nick Saban.

Saban advised him to choose Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners so he could be “surrounded by great players.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ly1kgQDOc2
— College Football Edits (@CollegeEdits) February 3, 2023

After spending the 2018 season backing up Tagovailoa, Hurts ended his tenure with a heart-warming SEC Championship comeback win. With many at the time questioning if Hurts was more than just a college quarterback, it became time for him to move on.

In a recent interview, Nick Saban revealed that Hurts' top choices were Maryland and Miami. At the time, the Hurricanes had just ended the 2018 season on a 7-6 record in Mark Richt's final season.

The 2019 roster that Hurts would've joined featured a plethora of NFL talent, including Greg Rousseau, K.J. Osborn, Deejay Dallas, Brevin Jordan and more. Even though that roster only finished 6-7, it's certain Hurts would've improved an offense that scored just 25.7 PPG. If he was able to bring even 60% of the 53 TD season he had in Norman, Hurts could've brought the Hurricanes to the ACC Championship over the likes of Virginia.

In comparison, the Maryland Terps featured a far less talented roster, as their eventual 2019 squad went 3-9 in Mike Locksley's first season.

At the end of the day, Saban told Hurts that if he wanted to become a better quarterback, it would be under the guidance of now USC head coach Lincoln Riley. Riley had just developed his second consecutive first overall pick and Heisman winner at quarterback.

Saban surely knew the right choice, as Hurts would go on to finish as a Heisman finalist with a 53-touchdown season. As a result, he ended up being selected in the second round to the Philadelphia Eagles. Today, Hurts is an All-Pro QB and will play for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy on February 12th in Arizona.

Who knows what would be the state of the program in Coral Gables today if Hurts ended up there. Would Manny Diaz still be head coach? Would Miami have been able to retain more in-state talent? Would we be an ACC powerhouse? We will never know, but that's the joy of college football.

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