Wisconsin Football: Badgers best fit for Jalen Hurts

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts should consider Wisconsin football for his final year of eligibility.

We knew this time would come. Jalen Hurts graduated from Alabama last semester and it was only a matter of time before he officially announced that he would be transferring for his final graduate year. And of course, we have to talk about Wisconsin football as a fit for him.

Even with all the hype of Graham Mertz, the potential steadiness that Alex Hornibrook could bring, and the uncertainty that could come with adding a graduate transfer in such a crucial year for the program, Hurts is still a good idea for Wisconsin, and Wisconsin is still a good idea for Hurts.

When Kelly Bryant announced he was transferring from Clemson I wrote about the potential fit. Wisconsin football fans think back to the 2011 season with graduate transfer Russell Wilson running the offense and can’t help themselves but wonder if there’s another option like that out there. Bryant looked like a possibility, but Wisconsin was never in play from what we knew. Wisconsin may not be in play for Hurts either, but we don’t know that yet.

What I do know is that Hurts is even better than Bryant and the fit would be even more beneficial to both parties involved.

The problem for Wisconsin football in recent years has been the lack of dynamic quarterback play. The running game has succeeded in spite of defenses knowing the pass was never a true threat and the defense has been stellar. When we think about how great Wisconsin can be with a playmaker at quarterback, we aren’t dreaming. We’re remembering. The 2011 offense was one of the most efficient in college football history. When I say Wisconsin is just a quarterback away, it’s because I know so.

That’s part of what makes Graham Mertz such an interesting player. If he’s as good as everybody thinks he is, he can take the Badgers to the next level. But he’ll only be a true freshman next year. Whether he redshirts or not, his timeline won’t be thrown off by a one-year player like Hurts. Even then, Hurts and Mertz not only rhyme but their play styles complement each other too.

Hurts has taken a lot of flack for being a less-than-stellar passer at Alabama, but the fact is he’s still a great quarterback and no matter what field you put him on he’s one of the best athletes out there. He knows what it takes to win games, as evidenced by his comeback against Georgia in the SEC Championship, and he can break open a game at any time.

Wisconsin isn’t on the list of potential landing spots for Hurts because it never gets a shot at a player like Hurts to begin with. If Hurts chose to go to Wisconsin for his final year, the Badgers would be a good football team. They would be better than half of the schools listed in the tweet above. And as a result, the next time such a transfer came up, Wisconsin would be in play.

It’s all about perception. Wisconsin isn’t being recognized as a major program where, for whatever reason, programs like Tennessee and Arizona are. It doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t make sense for Hurts to go to those programs when they’ve done nothing to prove they are worthy of his services.

The Wisconsin Badgers are the best fit for Jalen Hurts in college football.