Alabama Football’s Jalen Hurts Chosen as Manning Award Finalist

Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts was selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2016 Manning Award, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced on Wednesday. The Manning Award is given annually to college football’s top quarterback and is the only quarterback award that takes into account the candidates’ bowl performance.

The first true freshman ever to start under Nick Saban and the first at Alabama since 1984, Hurts has excelled as the Crimson Tide’s starter going 11-0 and helping the Crimson Tide stay ranked atop the polls this season. He has thrown for 2,454 yards and 21 touchdowns with only nine interceptions and is completing 65.9 percent of his passes to maintain a 147.14 quarterback rating that ranks third in the Southeastern Conference. Hurts has also rushed a team-high 154 times for 840 total yards and 12 touchdowns, a total that also leads all Alabama rushers.

Hurts has been impressive in just his first collegiate season as he is currently first in Alabama annals with an average of 274.5 yards per game, and ranks second in UA single-season history with 33 touchdowns responsible for (21 passing, 12 rushing). In total, Hurts has compiled four 100-yard rushing games, the most ever in a single season by an Alabama signal caller. He became the first Alabama quarterback to ever rush for 100 yards and pass for 300 yards in a single game thanks to his 347 yards passing and 100 yards rushing against Mississippi State earlier this season.

Joining Hurts as finalists are: J.T. Barrett (Ohio State), Jake Browning (Washington), Sam Darnold (USC), Luke Falk (Washington State), Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Patrick Mahomes II (Texas Tech), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Zach Terrell (Western Michigan) and Deshaun Watson (Clemson). The winner of the 2016 Manning Award will be announced after the bowls in January and will be honored at a ceremony in New Orleans.

The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, was created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. In its first 12 years, the Manning Award has recognized quarterbacks from 11 different schools and from four different conferences. The SEC leads the way with four Manning Award winners (Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, JaMarcus Russell, and Tim Tebow).