Alabama Football: 5 Tide players poised to break out in 2020
By Phil Poling
3. Mac Jones, QB
Replacing Tagovailoa under center won’t be an easy task for whoever wins the starting job, but redshirt junior Mac Jones began the offseason as the front-runner following his role in 2019. He amassed 1,503 passing yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. Jones also started a few games, but was primarily the backup.
In his two biggest games, against Auburn and Michigan, Jones completed 66 percent (42-of-64) of his passes for 662 yards and seven touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions against the Tigers, both of which were returned for touchdowns, but bounced back each time. Those moments can be detrimental for someone who’s not the usual starter, but he didn’t fold. He came back, ran the offense like nothing happened, didn’t force things, and kept the Crimson Tide in the game.
On the other hand, the Crimson Tide has Tua Tagovailoa’s younger brother, Talia, on the roster, and they also added the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country during the 2020 recruiting cycle, Bryce Young. With that sort of hype and talent behind him, Jones could certainly stumble if he looks over his shoulder. What I expect will happen, though, is Jones welcoming the competition and distancing himself from his peers.
The 6-foot-2 Florida native only has four starts under his belt, but played in a reserve role in eight other games in 2019. With that sort of experience and an understanding of how Alabama likes to operate, Jones is in a perfect position to not only win the starting quarterback job, but to excel in it and breakout in 2020.