Nick Saban, the legendary head coach, likens the quarterback situation facing the Florida Gators to the Tua Tagovailoa-Jalen Hurts affair in Alabama.
Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has weighed in on the quarterback controversy surrounding the Florida Gators as they prepare for their third game of the season. While speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Nick Saban compared the current state of affairs involving Florida football quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway to his previous experiences at Alabama with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.
Due to his limited exposure to Florida’s games this season, Saban was hesitant to pass judgment on the team’s quarterback situation.
“To be really honest, I haven’t really seen the freshman play because I haven’t attended practice and have only watched Florida play in one game. On the show, Saban stated, “I’m not sure which stage of development they are in and who gives them the best chance to win.”
The conversation reminds me of Alabama’s quarterback situation from a few seasons ago, when Saban made the decision to go from Hurts to Tagovailoa. This was a deliberate decision that changed as Tagovailoa won the team over rather than something that was done in a hurry.
“Like, you know, we sort of sensed that was going when we played Tua and benched Jalen Hurts after he was 26-2 as a starter. It simply didn’t happen instantly,” Saban said.
The difficulty for Florida football is figuring out which quarterback can lead their offense and win over their teammates’ trust. In making these kinds of choices, Saban stressed the significance of technical execution and team relationships.
“You must decide how to carry out the technical execution…Their contradictions are unknown to us. The degree to which they are aware of the transgression is unknown. Can they oversee the entire offensive, and do the guys surrounding them have faith in them? Saban clarified.
In addition, Saban discussed the mental ramifications of playing two quarterbacks—a tactic that Florida is purportedly mulling over. He emphasized that in order to avoid any detrimental effects on team morale, both quarterbacks needed to have a clear plan in place.
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