After his 17 seasons coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide, there’s no doubt that Nick Saban is the greatest coach of the century, if not of all time. With seven NCAA titles, Saban’s teams have been loaded with premier talent, including four Heisman Trophy winners. But which of his quarterbacks were truly worthy of being Saban disciples? Below, I’ve ranked each quarterback from worst to best.
Did not qualify: Jalen Milroe, Tyler Buchner, Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman, Jake Coker and Blake Sims
None of these quarterbacks have ever thrown a pass at the NFL level and thus cannot qualify for a ranking on this list. Although Milroe is likely to be selected quite high in this year’s draft, there is no way for me to accurately forecast how his career will turn out, and he is thus ineligible for a grade.
6. Greg McElroy 0–1
Current ESPN correspondent Greg McElroy had a pretty unspectacular career in the NFL. Starting just one game for the 2012 New York Jets, McElroy threw no touchdown passes and one interception in a 27–17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite an underwhelming career for the former seventh-round pick, a bright second career always seemed to be in the cards, as he was voted an ESPN Academic All-American and graduated with a 3.82 GPA. Stay in school, kids.
5. A.J. McCarron 2–2
Three-time national champion and former XFL poster child A.J. McCarron is a future college football Hall of Famer, yet there is much to be desired of his NFL career. Despite having a 6–3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, he never was able to become a full-time starter and took his backup-riddled career in the XFL and UFL. In lesser competition, McCarron led an exciting St. Louis Battlehawks squad into the 2024 playoffs with a 7–3 record.
4. Mac Jones 20–29
Michael McCorkle Jones was the second Alabama quarterback under Saban to be selected in the first round yet was the most disappointing of the group in his pro career so far. Since making a Pro Bowl as a rookie, Jones’ career has been slipping downwards. Now a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, there isn’t a clear path for Jones to be a starter in the league and salvage his once-promising career.
3. Bryce Young 6–22
I’m not quite sure what to make of Bryce Young’s career quite yet. After a disastrous rookie season, he managed to have three different head coaches in the span of a year. Yet, after being benched for Andy Dalton, Bryce has looked like a completely different player. The former first overall pick has given the lowly Florida Panthers hope for the future, as this former Heisman winner has been trending in the right direction despite his horrific record.
2. Tua Tagovailoa 38–24
Tua Tagovailoa, like Young, has had an up-and-down career. After starting his career slowly, he managed to become the centerpiece of the Miami Dolphins. Despite his great counting stats in the regular season, Tagovailoa has yet to have a postseason appearance where the Dolphins haven’t been blown out by a superior team.
1. Jalen Hurts 46–20
A transfer, Hurts lost his job to Tagovailoa at Alabama and ended his college career at Oklahoma. Hurts has firmly cemented himself at the top of this list after hoisting the Lombardi with the Philadelphia Eagles while earning Super Bowl MVP honors. The captain of the brotherly shove has cemented himself in NFL history as a worthy apprentice to Saban and the Crimson Tide.
