re: ********** Official 2018 Alabama QB Situation Thread ************

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Hang in and battle for the right to continue on as Alabama's starting quarterback.

Go ahead and concede the job to Tua Tagovailoa and request a move to another position.

Stay at quarterback, but make the move to another program.

For the most part, those options represent the unsolicited advice Jalen Hurts has received in the days and weeks since he was replaced by Tagovailoa to start the third quarter of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

In leading the Crimson Tide back from a 13-0 deficit to a 26-23 overtime win over Georgia in Atlanta, Tagovailoa proved to be more than a mop-up time all-american. In passing for 166 yards and three touchdowns in two quarters and a frame of OT, he proved to be legit.

So what does it mean for Hurts moving forward? For more on that, I recently checked in with David Morris, founder and guiding force behind QBcountry.com.

In addition to former UA starters AJ McCarron and Jake Coker, Morris has worked with Hurts in the past. The duo crossed paths at the Manning Passing Academy last summer. To be sure, the experience left a very favorable impression on Morris.

"You know, I'd never had personal interaction with him before, just heard a lot of great things about him," Morris said at the time. "It was the first time for me to talk to him, to have dialogue back and forth with him to train him and even play against him in seven on seven -- and we ended up losing. But we had a lot of fun and our groups were kind of close to each others during the weekend. That's the cool thing about the camp, you get to know these guys. Intangibles, everything I had heard was spot on: sharp, focused, mature and very eager to learn. I really thought he stood out."

Fast forward eight months and there are questions about Hurts' ability to maintain contact with the surging Tagovailoa. With that, if asked, what advice would Morris give Hurts in advance of spring practice at the Capstone?

"I'd probably just say follow your gut; don't listen to too many people on the outside because not too may people know how he's feeling," Morris said. "He probably hasn't let too many people into his heart."

One option Morris wouldn't entertain at this juncture is moving on to another program.

"I'm not a big transfer guy," Morris said. "I just think in his gut he has something that is tugging at him and you've got to pay attention to it. It's not as much about what mom and dad say or even what Coach Saban says. Really, in a situation like his, first of all, go compete your behind off and try to win the job and become a better player. If you don't win the job, that's when you've got to really make a grown man decision and he'll be fine because he's a level-headed, intelligent guy and he's a guy who has good people around him and he can play."

As Hurts moves through spring drills and looks ahead to the coming season, Morris believes the rising junior will experience clarity of thought as it relates to his future in football. For now, Morris doesn't think it's a given that Hurts' days as a quarterback are numbered.

"He's got to getter better and he knows that, but he's not far off from being a darn good quarterback," Morris said. "Now, if he doesn't win the job, has he lost confidence? That's a huge deal at this position. Then the final question is, if I'm not going to play quarterback in the [National Football League], what's my next move because I am a great athlete and a versatile athlete."

"I think there's a lot there [to work through], but he's going to have a gut feeling and he's going to need to follow it."

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