CBS Sports Writer Predicts Alabama Will Use Tua Tagovailoa Throughout Next Season

The Alabama Crimson Tide goes into the upcoming season with many questions surrounding the team including who will Nick Saban will start under center?

Last year's starter Jalen Hurts finished the season with 2,780 passing yards and 23 passing touchdowns and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a appearance in the championship game.

With numbers like that as a true freshman it should be a no-brainer who should be the starting quarterback in the season opener against Florida State. However, incoming freshman Tua Tagovailoa has also been the topic of discussion for Alabama's starting spot with his upside and ability to throw the ball down field.

Ben Kercheval, CBS Sports college football writer, wrote an article making five bold predictions for this upcoming season. His third prediction was Tagovailoa will be a steady part of the Alabama offense. Kercheval joined The Game to further discuss his article.

"It's a tough call because this is Jalen's team," Kercheval said. "This is not an anticipation of a quarterback controversy. Jalen regrets [a little bit from last year] but, his the reigning MVP Offensive Player of the Year. It's not like he's a nobody, he's a very good player. As a sophomore, you hope that he takes that next step forward in his development."

"From every I gathered from Tua is that not only is he a tremendous talent, but he embarrasses competition. He is coming into this situation where he knows that this is Jalen's team and that he's got to go and earn any little playing time that he might receive, and not even guaranteed he receives it. I think that says a lot about his competitive nature as well. I think he has the mental makeup along with the physically makeup."

He also believes that if Lane Kiffin was still the offensive coordinator at Alabama he would throw Tagovailoa in the starting lineup and worry about the consequence about the quarterback switch later.

Kercheval also made a bold prediction that Florida State's freshman running back Cam Akers could be rushing to New York City to the Heisman. He says despite playing Alabama's tough interior defensive line, it shouldn't affect the running back's Heisman chance towards the end of the season.

Listen to Kercheval's analyze his bold predictions in the video on top of the page and tune into The Game with Ryan Fowler weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on Tide 102.9.