QB Signee Mac Jones Explains Why He Choose Alabama
From the outside, it might seem like a stretch to say that quarterback was a major position of need for Alabama in the 2017 signing class.
The Crimson Tide was just a month removed from a last-second national championship loss with true freshman Jalen Hurts under center. He still has two years before the NFL is even an option so Alabama appears to be set at quarterback. Beyond Hurts, however, there is very little depth on the roster.
That's why it became so important for Nick Saban to bring in two quarterbacks on National Signing Day. Most of the attention go to Tua Tagovailoa because of his five-star rating and decision to enroll early, but Jones has never shied away from competition.
The four-star quarterback joined The Game this week to discuss his decision to join a crowded roster in Tuscaloosa.
"I knew Jalen was obviously a great player and stuff, and we're completely different type quarterbacks," Jones said. "I mean, it went into my decision but I always just kind of focus on myself. Obviously Jalen is the starter and everything, and I'm looking forward to working with him and learning from him.
"When I was in high school, when I was younger, I had someone that was kind of like a mentor to me that was an older quarterback so hopefully Jalen can kind of serve as that and I can learn from him."
If there were any doubts whether Alabama wanted to bring in a second, pro-style quarterback with this class, take a look the effort Saban put into the recruiting process.
"For me, one of the special things he did was he came to school on a helicopter. I'll be able to tell my grandkids that Coach Saban came and talked to me and he landed on my field in a helicopter. You know, it was a big deal. That's something that will probably live with me forever."
Jones will take advantage of the University of Alabama's second spring enrollment period and begin taking classes this month. You can hear everything he discussed with Ryan Fowler in the video above.