2019 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Pick: Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts
Heartland College Sports doesn’t just go with the flow with the rest of the media. It’s never how we’ve done business. So we will roll out our individual winners that we are predicting for the upcoming 2019 college football season. If you missed our 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, you can find that here.
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year: Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts
Well, history is on Hurts’ side. For the HCS crew, three of the five of us picked Hurts, with other votes cast for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy. Even though only two Big 12 quarterbacks will be at Media Days this week, this conference is still ultimately decided by the signal caller.
For Hurts, he walks into what is the most enticing situation any quarterback in the country can ask for: Lincoln Riley’s brains, his play calling and OU’s skill players. That is what has helped produce the last two Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
Frankly, we think that streak has a good chance at ending, but regardless, Hurts still has an excellent chance of being the most productive offensive player in the conference. He lost his starting job at Alabama, mostly because against the best of the best, he struggled throwing the ball. However, when Hurts had to relieve the injured Tua Tagovailoa in last year’s SEC Championship Game, he went 7 of 9 for 82 yards and a touchdown, helping lead the Alabama comeback.
If he can continue to make strides like that, while also getting the tutelage of Lincoln Riley, there is no reason to believe Hurts won’t have an incredibly productive season, which would include winning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
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