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“Nick Saban knew before everyone Jalen Hurts can’t throw”: NFL fans react to unseen video of ex-Alabama HC benching QB in 2017 National Championship

Jalen Hurts played college football for three years at Alabama from 2016 to 2018 under Nick Saban. The quarterback was part of the Tide team that won the national title in the 2017 season.

Sportskeeda

Published: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 8:42 PM

Key Things to Know

Unseen footage from ESPN's docuseries shows Nick Saban benching Jalen Hurts during the 2017 National Championship.
Saban made the decision to replace Hurts with Tua Tagovailoa while Alabama trailed Georgia 13–0 at halftime.
Fans reacted online, with some claiming Saban recognized early on that Hurts struggled as a passer.

The Story in 60 Seconds

NFL fans reacted after newly released footage from ESPN's docuseries "Saban" showed former Alabama head coach Nick Saban benching quarterback Jalen Hurts. The clip captures Saban deciding at halftime of the 2017 National Championship Game to replace Hurts with freshman Tua Tagovailoa while trailing Georgia 13–0.

Fans viewed the resurfaced moment as early evidence regarding Hurts' passing capabilities during his college career. Tagovailoa took over for the second half of the matchup, leading the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory to secure the national championship title.

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