Alabama Football: Are Dual-Threat-Only QBs the New Future for Crimson Tide?

Alabama's latest quarterback commitment came without much fanfare, especially compared to some of its previous pledges the last few years.

It was late Friday night when Jalen Hurts—a 4-star dual-threat from Channelview, Texas—committed to Alabama, via a tweet from Elite 11. Friday nights are usually reserved for negative news dumps, not big announcements like this.

But despite how under-the-radar this has largely gone (as under-the-radar as it gets for a quarterback commitment, anyway), Hurts' pledge represents something much larger for Alabama football than just a single commitment.

Hurts' pledge signals a changing of the guard in Tuscaloosa under center, where style trends across the country and a massive 2014 offensively have caused coach Nick Saban and Alabama to rethink their offensive strategy and adapt to the times.

Last year, Blake Sims dazzled in coordinator Lane Kiffin's offense, not just with his incredible arm strength, but also with his quickness and agility both in the pocket and in the open field. The Crimson Tide haven't had a mobile quarterback like that in a long time, and certainly not under Saban.

The prototypical Saban model pre-Sims was a sturdy pocket passer with decent arm strength who would take care of the ball. He could evade the rush at times but was never much of a threat in the open field.

Sims flipped that model on its head, and Alabama looks content to keep it that way.

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While Sims was breaking Crimson Tide single-season passing records and breaking off huge runs like this one against Texas A&M, Alabama already had a commitment from 5-star Blake Barnett, who in his two years as a starter for Santiago High School rushed for 1,174 yards and 20 touchdowns, per his MaxPreps profile.

His highlights show a quarterback who can cut through a defense as effectively as he can throw it over one.

Barnett's recruitment and commitment could have been just an outlier in a line of pro-style quarterbacks Alabama has signed. Not anymore.

"Watching Blake Sims play in Alabama's offense last year played a little bit of a role in my decision," Hurts told TideSports.com's Andrew Bone. "You always like to see something like that happen. Alabama wanted a guy like me. They wanted someone who can run and throw. Someone who can extend plays."

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Hurts is one of 11 quarterbacks Alabama has offered for 2016, five of which are classified as dual-threat, including him. All six pro-style guys, though, are committed elsewhere.

And the Crimson Tide still could add one more this year. Four-star Jawon Pass is still uncommitted, and Alabama is one of the favorites to land his signature.

Alabama is clearly putting an emphasis on a new style of play and the type of quarterback it requires. It also already has three offers out to dual-threat quarterbacks for 2017.

The total style-of-play transition won't happen overnight, just like any change. One of the reasons Sims worked so well was his experience, being a fifth-year senior.

Alabama doesn't currently have a playmaker with that kind of experience right now. Jake Coker, one of the favorites to start in 2015, certainly has some legs, but nothing along the lines of Sims or Barnett. He or David Cornwell, the other favorite, fit much more in the role of the traditional quarterback.

But it's not out of the realm of possibility that in two or three years, quarterbacks like Hurts will be the new norm in Tuscaloosa, instead of the other way around.

Hurts' recruitment and commitment signal just that. Times are changing in Tuscaloosa.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.