From being benched during the most significant moment of his athletic career to eventually being crowned the MVP of the Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts exemplifies the profound value of failure. Hurts, whose cell phone wallpaper once displayed a photo of his disheartened self following the loss in Super Bowl LVII in 2023, found motivation in that defeat. For two years, that poignant image served as both the first and last thing he encountered each day.
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However, Hurts is not alone in his journey of facing and overcoming failure. Nearly a year ago, Will Howard was informed by Kansas State that, after four seasons in the program, they would be moving forward with the immensely talented sophomore, Avery Johnson. Consequently, Howard made the decision to transfer to Ohio State, where he experienced two challenging losses to Oregon and Michigan before embarking on a remarkable four-game streak that culminated in a championship victory.
Similarly, Stetson Bennett faced setbacks at Georgia, was informed he would not play quarterback for the Bulldogs, and subsequently decided to leave and play in junior college. Upon his return a year later, Bennett persevered and went on to secure back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. Joe Burrow encountered his share of struggles, failing to secure the starting quarterback position at Ohio State for three seasons. He then made the pivotal decision to transfer to LSU in 2018. In 2019, Burrow had an exceptional individual season, which led to a national championship victory and him being awarded the Heisman Trophy.
Do you notice a pattern emerging?
The issue in college football is not the transfer portal; rather, it lies in succumbing to defeat. It is not about players profiting from their name, image, and likeness but rather about some players exploiting the system for financial gain while neglecting the arduous yet rewarding grind of the sport. Quarterbacks, the linchpin of any team, often hop from one program to another in pursuit of instant success, inadvertently bypassing the valuable lessons that failure can impart.
Four out of the top 10 quarterbacks from the 2024 recruiting class, as per the 247Sports composite ranking, have parted ways with their original teams. Similarly, five of the top 10 quarterbacks from the 2023 class have also moved on to new opportunities.
The concept of free player movement seemed like a distant dream when Hurts faced being benched in 2017 and failed to reclaim his starting position in his junior season of 2018. Only by graduating early from Alabama before the commencement of the 2019 season was Hurts able to utilize the graduate transfer rule to immediately join Oklahoma.
Consider this: Hurts could have opted to leave
