Jalen Hurts College Football Career: Alabama to Oklahoma
Follow Jalen Hurts’ college quarterback career at Alabama and Oklahoma before entering the NFL.
Jalen Hurts College Football Career: Alabama to Oklahoma
NFL CONTENT GUIDE • Research cutoff: November 1, 2026
Jalen Hurts played college football for Alabama from 2016 through 2018 and for Oklahoma in 2019. That two-school career is essential to understanding his development before the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Hurts' college story is not a single transfer headline: it involves early starting success, a change in role and a prolific final season.
Alabama: early opportunity and team success
Hurts became an important part of Alabama's offense as a freshman in 2016. His dual-threat playing style created a rushing dimension from the quarterback position while the Crimson Tide continued to compete for national championships. In 2016 he threw for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns and rushed for 954 yards and 13 scores, according to the college statistical record.
He remained a contributor in subsequent Alabama seasons, including the period when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa emerged. The change in how Alabama used its quarterbacks was a major decision point in Hurts' career. Rather than treating a different role as the end of his college development, he stayed involved with the program before seeking a full starting opportunity elsewhere.
Oklahoma in 2019: a major statistical season
| 2019 Oklahoma statistic | Hurts |
| Passing yards | 3,851 |
| Passing touchdowns | 32 |
| Rushing yards | 1,298 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 20 |
| Heisman Trophy voting | Runner-up |
At Oklahoma, Hurts led one of the country's high-output offenses. His combination of 3,851 passing yards and 1,298 rushing yards created 5,149 yards of total offense. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist and finished second in voting, reflecting the significance of his senior campaign. These totals include the season's college-statistical convention and should not be compared carelessly with NFL regular-season numbers.
What changed between the two schools
At Alabama, Hurts was part of a championship-level operation with multiple talented players around him. At Oklahoma, he was a central driver of a particularly productive offense, using experience gained earlier in his career. The difference was more than a change of jersey: the opportunity to take command of a new system helped him demonstrate his passing and rushing development to NFL evaluators.
NFL transition
Philadelphia selected Hurts 53rd overall in 2020. His college production does not guarantee a specific NFL outcome, but it helps explain why teams considered his athleticism, decision-making and resilience worth developing at the professional level. His Eagles game logs and postseason records belong on separate pages, each with different statistical boundaries.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Jalen Hurts go to college?
Alabama and Oklahoma.
When did he play for Oklahoma?
The 2019 college season.
Did he win the 2019 Heisman Trophy?
No. He finished second in the voting.