If you didn’t see this coming I don’t know what to think of you. This was so obvious it would have hurt me personally if Jalen Hurts hadn’t made this decision to play his senior season at Oklahoma.
You couldn’t script this any better even if you’re Sylvester Stallone and you need another Rocky story.
This has the potential to be that type of feel good story for all parties involved. Kyler Murray had his dream season and will be playing some pro sport next season. Jalen Hurts beat Georgia with a redemption scene which puts Shawshank to shame. Austin Kendall, every bit as good of young man as you’d want to see, will get to finish his college career in West Virginia. And Spencer Rattler will get to ease into college football as a true freshman learning how to be the ultimate team guy by being Jalen Hurts’ backup. This will be good for Spencer Rattler. It will.
And you know who else it’s really good for….the Big 12.
Because with Texas finally on the rise and Jalen Hurts already in the Vegas odds to finish in the top three of next season’s Heisman race what the Big 12 finally has is both of its iconic programs front and center in the national spotlight.
This is what the designers of the new Big 12 prayed would eventually happen. That being, having both OU and Texas simultaneously in the hunt for a Final Four berth.
And it’s made even better for Hollywood because both of these young men are what the college game should be about. As in young men hanging in there and doing things the right way. Seeing the big picture. Growing into adulthood with character instead of becoming a character.
As happy a day as it was in Norman today it was an even better day for the Big 12. And here’s another one for you…name the conference quarterback who a year ago won the Mr. Texas High School Player of the Year Award? Not Jalen, not Sam. That would be O State’s redshirt freshman Spencer Sanders. If you live in Big 12 country next football season could be one for the ages.
But beyond all of this what today reaffirms is that good things happen to good people when they don’t let go of their dream.
Mothers and fathers can still believe in the American Dream when they see how Jalen Hurts handled all this after being benched against Georgia at halftime.
Jalen Hurts didn’t quit. He hung in there and beyond just his football skills will bring a truckload of intangibles to Lincoln Riley’s program.
Name the current college quarterback who is a combined 2-1 as a starter vs. Clemson and 1-0 vs. Georgia as a reliever?
That would be Jalen Hurts and he knows in his heart he has one more chapter to write.