When you look at the trophy case of a guy who has been a Super Bowl MVP, a National Champion, and a perennial Pro Bowler, you just sort of assume the big bronze statue is in there somewhere. It makes sense, right? Jalen Hurts has one of the most storied careers in the history of college football. He’s the guy who got benched in a title game, stayed to help his replacement win another, then transferred and set the world on fire. But if you’re asking did Jalen Hurts win Heisman honors during that wild ride, the answer is actually no.
He came incredibly close. Like, "sitting in the front row in New York" close.
Honestly, the 2019 season felt like a movie. Hurts had just moved from Alabama to Oklahoma, following in the footsteps of back-to-back winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. The pressure was massive. People wondered if he could actually throw the ball well enough to keep the "OU Heisman Factory" humming. He didn't just keep it humming; he blew the doors off the place. He put up numbers that would have won him the award in almost any other year in history.
The Year Jalen Hurts Almost Took It All
So, what exactly went down in 2019? If Jalen was so good, why didn't he win?
The short answer is a guy named Joe Burrow.
While Jalen was busy putting up video game stats in Norman, Burrow was busy having arguably the greatest individual season a college quarterback has ever had at LSU. It was a statistical landslide. In the final voting, Jalen Hurts finished as the Heisman runner-up. He wasn't even particularly close in terms of points, simply because Burrow was a literal supernova that year.
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To give you an idea of the gap, Burrow grabbed 841 first-place votes. Jalen? He got 12.
But don't let the voting margin fool you into thinking Hurts wasn't elite. He finished ahead of some legendary names. Justin Fields, who was lighting it up at Ohio State, came in third. Chase Young, one of the most terrifying defensive ends we’ve ever seen, finished fourth. Jalen was the "best of the rest" in a year of giants.
Breaking Down the 2019 Stat Sheet
If you look at the raw production, it’s still hard to believe he didn't win. At Oklahoma, Jalen was a one-man wrecking crew. He became only the third player in FBS history to hit 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards by the 11th game of a season. The only other guys to do that? Lamar Jackson and Johnny Manziel. Both of those guys have Heismans on their mantels.
- Passing Yards: 3,851
- Passing Touchdowns: 32
- Rushing Yards: 1,298
- Rushing Touchdowns: 20
- Total Touchdowns: 52
That is 52 touchdowns in a single season. Most quarterbacks dream of hitting 30. He was basically a human cheat code in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He led the nation in yards per pass attempt ($11.8$) and was second in the country in points responsible for.
The Alabama Years: Why He Wasn't a Finalist Sooner
It’s easy to forget that before the Oklahoma explosion, Jalen was the face of Alabama football. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year as a true freshman in 2016. That’s nearly unheard of. Usually, Nick Saban doesn't even let freshmen talk to the media, let alone run the entire offense.
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Even back then, the Heisman buzz was there. He finished top 10 in the voting as a freshman. But the Alabama offense at the time wasn't designed for a quarterback to win the Heisman. It was about ball control, physical rushing, and letting a dominant defense suffocate the opponent. Jalen was a winner—going 26-2 as a starter for the Tide—but he wasn't a "stat stuffer" yet.
Then came the 2018 National Championship game. The benching. Tua Tagovailoa coming in. Most players would have transferred the next day. Jalen didn't. He stayed for 2018 as a backup, came off the bench to save Alabama in the SEC Championship against Georgia, and cemented himself as a legend in Tuscaloosa without ever needing a trophy to prove it.
The "What If" Factor
If you move Jalen’s 2019 season to 2017 or 2020, does he win? Kinda feels like he might.
The 2019 season was just a perfect storm of talent. You had Burrow at LSU, Fields at Ohio State, and Trevor Lawrence at Clemson. It was a golden era for college QBs. If Jalen had stayed at Alabama for his final year, he likely wouldn't have been a finalist at all because Tua was the focal point of that offense. The move to Oklahoma was the smartest business decision he ever made. It proved to NFL scouts that he could be a prolific passer, not just a "running quarterback."
That season in Norman is why he was a second-round pick. It’s why he’s now leading the Philadelphia Eagles. Even though the question of did Jalen Hurts win Heisman has a "no" for an answer, the 2019 season was the bridge that took him from a college star to an NFL superstar.
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How History Remembers the 2019 Race
Usually, people forget who came in second. Quick—who finished second to Baker Mayfield? (It was Bryce Love). Who finished second to Kyler Murray? (Tua Tagovailoa).
But people remember Jalen’s run because of the emotional weight behind it. He was the "discarded" quarterback who proved everyone wrong. When he stood on that stage in New York next to Burrow, Fields, and Young, it felt like a victory for everyone who had been told they weren't good enough. He might not have the trophy, but he has the respect of every coach in the country.
What to Remember About Jalen’s College Legacy
If you're settling a bet or just curious, here's the bottom line. Jalen Hurts is one of the most decorated players in modern history, but the Heisman Trophy is the one that got away.
- 2016: SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
- 2017: National Champion (Alabama).
- 2019: Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Heisman Finalist (Runner-up).
- 2019: Led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff.
The lack of a Heisman hasn't slowed him down. Since leaving college, he’s added a Super Bowl ring (LIX) and a Super Bowl MVP to his resume. Most guys would trade a Heisman for that in a heartbeat. He remains the only player to lead two different programs (Alabama and Oklahoma) to the College Football Playoff as a starting quarterback. That’s a stat that actually tells you more about Jalen Hurts than a bronze statue ever could.
To see how his college production stacks up against current NFL stars, you can check the official Heisman Trust database for year-by-year breakdowns or dive into his full college game logs on Sports Reference.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to track how Jalen's career compares to other dual-threat legends, look into the rushing records for quarterbacks in both the SEC and the Big 12. You'll find his name near the top of almost every list. You can also compare his 2019 "Heisman-level" stats to current college players to see just how high he set the bar for the modern "transfer portal" quarterback.