Mike Locksley Claims Jalen Hurts' Ultimate Goal is to Beat Alabama
By Parker White
Yesterday, Oklahoma head football coach Lincoln Riley announced that former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts has been named starting quarterback for the Sooners in 2019. This doesn't come as a shock, as Hurts wouldn't have transferred to Oklahoma if he thought he wasn't a slam dunk pick for the top job.
COLUMN: Jalen Hurts is officially Oklahoma’s QB1 — as we all knew he would be — which means we can get on to the next part of this spellbinding story line:
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) August 19, 2019
Jalen wants ‘Bama.https://t.co/fCFfsIp7Il
via @usatodaysports
Interestingly, if Hurts can lead this team right back to the College Football Playoff and everything lines up perfectly, he could have a chance at revenge against his former school.
And according to former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, this possibility is a huge reason why Hurts chose OU in the first place.
Maryland coach Mike Locksley says Jalen Hurts wants crack at Alabama: https://t.co/PZCR0Lrzkv pic.twitter.com/8EZoOKDR7G
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 20, 2019
“I’m sure in the back of Jalen’s mind, he would like to see the Oklahoma-Alabama matchup happen,” Locksley said, per USA Today. “I think that came into play when he made the decision to go there.”
There's no doubt that Hurts can be a force in Oklahoma's offense, which has prodouced back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners at QB in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, both of whom went on to be drafted No. 1 overall. Riley's system in Norman fits Hurts' skill set perfectly; you do wonder if the defense can keep up their end of the bargain, but offensively, they have the tools in place to be an enduring force in the Big 12.