Why did Jalen Hurts transfer to Oklahoma from Alabama? Tua Tagovailoa, Nick Saban's impact

The Eagles and Dolphins' Week 7 "Sunday Night Football" meeting isn't just a game between two of the NFL's top teams.

It's also a reunion for former college football teammates Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.

The two quarterbacks, who famously spent the 2017 and '18 seasons together under Nick Saban, will play on the same field for the first time since Hurts transferred from Alabama to Oklahoma in 2019. And his decision — not only to transfer, but also where to transfer — has proven to be one of the most impactful of his football career.

Under the tutelage of former Sooners coach Lincoln Riley, Hurts not only became a bona fide NFL prospect, but also experienced his best statistical season in college: He passed for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 1,298 yards and 20 more TDs. He also made an astounding fourth straight trip to the College Football Playoff (and first with the Sooners).

REQUIRED READING: Inside Super Bowl QB Jalen Hurts' year with OU football. 'He wasn’t your normal transfer.'

Here's everything you need to know about Hurts' transfer from Alabama to Oklahoma:

Why did Jalen Hurts transfer from Alabama?

Hurts' decision to transfer from Alabama has its earliest beginnings in the commitment of Tagovailoa to play for the Crimson Tide. Though Hurts won the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and led the Crimson Tide to a 14-1 record and CFP championship game berth, Tagovailoa's accuracy as a passer in 2017 led to rumblings he could usurp Hurts atop the Tide's depth chart.

Those rumblings ultimately came to a head in the 2018 CFP championship game vs. Georgia, where after halftime Saban benched Hurts for the freshman QB. The latter led the Crimson Tide from a 13-0 halftime deficit to a 26-23 overtime victory, securing Saban's sixth national championship — and eventually relegating Hurts to backup status for the 2018 season.

Hurts stayed at Alabama for the 2018 season to finish his undergraduate degree and improve as a passer under quarterbacks coach Dan Enos. In a March 2020 interview with Rich Eisen, Hurts reiterated that it was a part of his growth as a player. Still, following the 2018 season — which saw Tagovailoa-led Alabama fall to Clemson in the 2019 CFP title game — Hurts decided to transfer for his final year of eligibility.

REQUIRED READING: Former OU football QB Jalen Hurts 'really moved by' receiving O ring from Sooners

Why did Jalen Hurts transfer to Oklahoma?

After Hurts entered the NCAA transfer portal, he initially thought to transfer to Miami — where Enos had accepted the Hurricanes' offensive coordinator position — or Maryland, where co-offensive coordinator Mike Locksley had taken the Terrapins' head coaching position.

Saban, however, suggested Hurts transfer to Oklahoma, whom the Tide had beaten 45-34 in the 2018 Orange Bowl semifinal.

“And I remember (Hurts) coming in to me and saying (he) could go to Miami because the quarterback coach had gone to Miami as the offensive coordinator — the quarterback coach here, Dan Enos,” Saban said. “Mike Locksley got the head coaching job at Maryland. ‘I could go to Maryland or I could go to Oklahoma.’

“I said, ‘Jalen, where do they have the best players?’ Because he felt more comfortable going where he knew these guys. And he said, ‘Well, I think they have the best players at Oklahoma.’ I said, ‘We just played them, and they have some pretty good players on offense too.’”

It's also worth noting that Oklahoma had just lost 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray to the 2019 NFL Draft, where he would eventually become the top overall pick. And so, when Hurts announced his decision to transfer via The Players' Tribune, it wasn't to play for the Hurricanes or Terrapins, but the Sooners:

"I’ve decided to take my talents to the University of Oklahoma, where I will continue my development as both a quarterback and as a student," Hurts said.

"So to my about-to-be family in Norman, I truly appreciate you for bringing me on board," Hurts wrote. "Y’all don’t know me yet ... but just for now, to introduce myself: I’m a motivated coach’s son from the Eastside of Houston, and I love to play ball."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jalen Hurts transfer: Why Eagles quarterback left Alabama for Oklahoma