Jalen Hurts is off the market _ and he's not making his way to South Florida.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback announced Wednesday in a post on The Players' Tribune that he is transferring to Oklahoma and will play his final season of college football with the Sooners.
Hurts was a big reason Alabama played in the College Football Playoff national title game the past three seasons. He was the SEC Player of the Year as a true freshman in 2016, leading the Crimson Tide to a perfect record in the regular season before losing to Clemson 35-31 in the national championship game.
He led Alabama to an 11-1 mark in the regular season as a sophomore before winning the SEC Championship Game and Sugar Bowl to once again reach the College Football Playoff title game. He was benched for Tua Tagovailoa after the first half of the title game.
Hurts remained a backup to Heisman Trophy runner-up Tagovailoa, completing 51 of 70 passes (72.9 percent) for 765 yards and eight touchdowns, with only two interceptions. He added 167 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries. He came off the bench to lead the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory in the SEC title game after Tagovailoa injured his ankle.
"Growing up, I never thought I'd get to where I am today as a 20 year old. And I dang sure never thought I would have the power to positively impact so many people, and especially kids, across the nation like I do now," Hurts wrote in his post. "It's a huge honor ... but it's also a huge responsibility. Not everyone in this life gets the chance to be a role model. And that's why I'm on this mission: to be the best player, leader, and man that I can be. I know everything will unfold according to God's timing. I am blessed to be where my feet are; my trust is in his hands."
While the Hurricanes missed on Hurts, they have had success on the transfer scene as of late. UM landed Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell early Wednesday morning and Southern California defensive back Bubba Bolden last Thursday. Both players were high school teammates with Hurricanes tight end Brevin Jordan at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.
