Report: Jalen Hurts' father says son could be 'free agent' if he loses Alabama QB battle

Averion Hurts, the father of Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, told Bleacher Report that if his son loses his starting position to Tua Tagovailoa he would become "the biggest free agent in college football history." 

Hurts enjoyed a record-breaking sophomore season in 2017 as a Heisman candidate but was benched in the national championship game  — paving way for Tagovailoa's heroics in helping the Crimson Tide beat Georgia for a title and also creating a huge offseason story line for one of the most interesting quarterback battles in recent memory. 

The elder Hurts told Bleacher Report that he respects Alabama coach Nick Saban and put the onus on his son to in the 2018 QB battle in Tuscaloosa. 

"I told Jalen, you (expletive) up, you opened the door and put yourself in this situation. Now it's up to you to dig yourself out," Hurts said. 

"Coach Saban's job is to do what's best for his team. I have no problem with that. My job is to do what's best for Jalen — and make no mistake, Jalen is a quarterback, and he wants to play quarterback. He loves Alabama, loves Coach Saban and everything about that place. But he wants to play, and he will play."