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Jalen Hurts is Oklahoma’s third straight transfer quarterback. In Norman, he’s the continuation of what’s become the, uh, norm: A high-profile QB comes in to play for Lincoln Riley, and he exits as a No. 1 overall draft pick. Will Hurts continue that tradition? It's hard to dismiss the question outright considering what we’ve seen recently at Oklahoma. Given that the former Alabama starter might be the most decorated transfer quarterback ever, Hurts is at least Riley's most experienced transfer pupil.
247Sports has spent the dead period of June on the college football calendar looking at some of the sport’s stars with a historical context. Some players, like Tua Tagovailoa, are historically great. Others, like Trevor Lawrence, are simply incomparable.
Hurts is in the latter category.
Think about it. Hurts has to be the most accomplished transfer in history. He’s a national champion, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a True Freshman All-American. Throw in his career starting record (26-2), and there’s never been a quarterback transfer with his on-field pedigree.
Others compare, sort of.
Troy Aikman in 1984 became the first freshman quarterback to start at Oklahoma since World War II. He’d start four games the next season before a broken leg ended his campaign. The Sooners would go on to win a national championship that year under Jamelle Holieway’s direction. Aikman transferred that offseason to UCLA, where he’d redshirt and later emerge as a star. But Aikman’s underclassman resume is hardly comparable to what Hurts did at Alabama.
Remove the national championship pedigree, and you could look at a player like Davis Webb (three-year starter who lost his job to Patrick Mahomes). But Webb, who was extremely productive, hardly won or competed at the same level as Hurts.
Russell Wilson might be the best (and only) graduate transfer comparison. A three-year starter at NC State and an all-conference selection, Wilson excelled before transferring to Wisconsin prior to the 2011 season. There, in a quarterback-friendly offense that highlighted his strengths, Wilson put together one of the most efficient seasons (3,175 yards, 33 TDs, 4 INTs 72.8 CMP%) in recent memory.
Hurts’ resume doesn’t truly match any modern quarterback transfer. But he’ll hope Riley’s offense can help elevate him like it did for Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray before him. Hurts enters Oklahoma in a different position than his predecessors. Mayfield and Murray were part-time starters as true freshman before transferring to Oklahoma, and both benefited from at least a year in residence to learn Riley’s system. A senior, Hurts is considerably more established entering Norman than Mayfield (Texas Tech) or Murray (Texas A&M).
Mayfield (8 games): 2,315 yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs, 64.1 CMP%, 6.8 YPA
Murray (8 games): 686 yards, 5 TDs, 7 INTs, 59.5 CMP%, 5.7 YPA
Hurts (42 games): 5,626 yards, 48 TDs, 12 INTs, 62.9 CMP%, 8 YPA
The three passers are only moderately similar; I went into some of the differences earlier this year. Yet it’s hard to ignore the fact Riley helped elevate what were solid passers early in their careers (at least compared to what they’d become) into Heisman-winning giants. Hurts, given his between-the-lines experience, should quickly absorb Riley’s system. He’s shown a propensity for improvement throughout his career despite playing under four different offensive coordinators. Hurts dropped from nine interceptions to one between his freshman and sophomore years. In part-time work under Dan Enos last season, Hurts elevated his completion percentage from 60.4 to 72.9 percent.
“The guy’s been in some of the biggest and best games of the college football world over the last few years,” Riley said earlier this offseason. There’s not going to be much happening to this kid that he hasn’t been through already.”
Given Hurts’ history, there are few, if any, passers who truly compare to Oklahoma’s new starting QB. But there is an interesting statistical category Hurts fits within. Hurts is one of only 30 FBS passers since 2000 to post a season with 2,000-plus yards, 15-plus touchdowns, a completion percentage of 60 percent and at least 850 yards rushing, according to Sports Reference data. Hurts is actually on that list twice. He’s one of just 18 players from the Power Five among that group. Others include: Braxton Miller, Collin Klein, J.T. Barrett, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Vince Young, Deshaun Watsonand Murray.
Statistically, Hurts best compares to an early career Barrett, a player who also led a team to the cusp of national championship only for another quarterback to finish up what he started.
Hurts (2016): 2,780 yards, 23 TDs 9 INTs, 62.8 CMP%, 954 yards rushing, 13 TDs
Barrett (2014): 2,834 yards, 34 TDs, 10 INTs, 64.6 CMP%, 938 yards rushing, 11 TDs
Injuries seemed to strip Barrett of his explosive rushing ability, which saw his production drop significantly as a sophomore and junior. Yet Barrett rebounded as a senior with one of the best passing seasons in Big Ten history. Given a new system and team, Hurts could see a similar late-career resurgence.
Mayfield and Murray can attest to that.
247Sports has spent the dead period of June on the college football calendar looking at some of the sport’s stars with a historical context. Some players, like Tua Tagovailoa, are historically great. Others, like Trevor Lawrence, are simply incomparable.
Hurts is in the latter category.
Think about it. Hurts has to be the most accomplished transfer in history. He’s a national champion, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a True Freshman All-American. Throw in his career starting record (26-2), and there’s never been a quarterback transfer with his on-field pedigree.
Others compare, sort of.
Troy Aikman in 1984 became the first freshman quarterback to start at Oklahoma since World War II. He’d start four games the next season before a broken leg ended his campaign. The Sooners would go on to win a national championship that year under Jamelle Holieway’s direction. Aikman transferred that offseason to UCLA, where he’d redshirt and later emerge as a star. But Aikman’s underclassman resume is hardly comparable to what Hurts did at Alabama.
Remove the national championship pedigree, and you could look at a player like Davis Webb (three-year starter who lost his job to Patrick Mahomes). But Webb, who was extremely productive, hardly won or competed at the same level as Hurts.
Russell Wilson might be the best (and only) graduate transfer comparison. A three-year starter at NC State and an all-conference selection, Wilson excelled before transferring to Wisconsin prior to the 2011 season. There, in a quarterback-friendly offense that highlighted his strengths, Wilson put together one of the most efficient seasons (3,175 yards, 33 TDs, 4 INTs 72.8 CMP%) in recent memory.
Hurts’ resume doesn’t truly match any modern quarterback transfer. But he’ll hope Riley’s offense can help elevate him like it did for Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray before him. Hurts enters Oklahoma in a different position than his predecessors. Mayfield and Murray were part-time starters as true freshman before transferring to Oklahoma, and both benefited from at least a year in residence to learn Riley’s system. A senior, Hurts is considerably more established entering Norman than Mayfield (Texas Tech) or Murray (Texas A&M).
Mayfield (8 games): 2,315 yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs, 64.1 CMP%, 6.8 YPA
Murray (8 games): 686 yards, 5 TDs, 7 INTs, 59.5 CMP%, 5.7 YPA
Hurts (42 games): 5,626 yards, 48 TDs, 12 INTs, 62.9 CMP%, 8 YPA
The three passers are only moderately similar; I went into some of the differences earlier this year. Yet it’s hard to ignore the fact Riley helped elevate what were solid passers early in their careers (at least compared to what they’d become) into Heisman-winning giants. Hurts, given his between-the-lines experience, should quickly absorb Riley’s system. He’s shown a propensity for improvement throughout his career despite playing under four different offensive coordinators. Hurts dropped from nine interceptions to one between his freshman and sophomore years. In part-time work under Dan Enos last season, Hurts elevated his completion percentage from 60.4 to 72.9 percent.
“The guy’s been in some of the biggest and best games of the college football world over the last few years,” Riley said earlier this offseason. There’s not going to be much happening to this kid that he hasn’t been through already.”
Given Hurts’ history, there are few, if any, passers who truly compare to Oklahoma’s new starting QB. But there is an interesting statistical category Hurts fits within. Hurts is one of only 30 FBS passers since 2000 to post a season with 2,000-plus yards, 15-plus touchdowns, a completion percentage of 60 percent and at least 850 yards rushing, according to Sports Reference data. Hurts is actually on that list twice. He’s one of just 18 players from the Power Five among that group. Others include: Braxton Miller, Collin Klein, J.T. Barrett, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Vince Young, Deshaun Watsonand Murray.
Statistically, Hurts best compares to an early career Barrett, a player who also led a team to the cusp of national championship only for another quarterback to finish up what he started.
Hurts (2016): 2,780 yards, 23 TDs 9 INTs, 62.8 CMP%, 954 yards rushing, 13 TDs
Barrett (2014): 2,834 yards, 34 TDs, 10 INTs, 64.6 CMP%, 938 yards rushing, 11 TDs
Injuries seemed to strip Barrett of his explosive rushing ability, which saw his production drop significantly as a sophomore and junior. Yet Barrett rebounded as a senior with one of the best passing seasons in Big Ten history. Given a new system and team, Hurts could see a similar late-career resurgence.
Mayfield and Murray can attest to that.
