If you’re a college football fan, you probably know that Alabama (8-0) is undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. But you might not know just how dominant quarterback Mac Jones has been this season.
The junior has completed 76.2 percent of his passes for 2,728 yards, 23 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Barrett Jones, a two-time All-American offensive lineman who helped the Tide to three national titles, has been thoroughly impressed with Jones. In fact, he believes Jones will “absolutely” be a successful NFL quarterback.
“I know it’s a shortened season, but to me, he’s Joe Burrow 2.0,” Jones said on The Zach Gelb Show. “It’s a very similar situation to me. Right now, Mac Jones is playing with so much confidence. He’s playing great football, and when you turn on the tape, it’s not just that he has great guys around him. He’s really making great throws. . . . It’s not like he’s just sitting there dumping it off. He’s throwing bombs, and he’s throwing it really accurately.”
Jones has thrown for 11 touchdowns in his last three games, including five in a 42-13 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl this past Saturday.
“Quarterback, I think people underestimate how much of a confidence position it is,” Jones said. “You think of kicker with confidence, but with quarterback, there’s so much confidence involved, and right now, Mac Jones has a ton of confidence. You can tell he’s having fun out there, and it’s working for hm. The same thing happened to Joe Burrow last year. You saw that confidence that came on where he felt like he was unstoppable, and as a result of that, he was pretty unstoppable on the field.”
Granted, Jones won’t come anywhere close to Burrow’s output last season. Last year, Burrow threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions, leading LSU to a national title.
“I’m not necessarily saying they’re going to be equal on the pro level. I’m just saying the kind of seasons they’re having [are similar],” Jones said. “He might not have quite the numbers that Joe Burrow had, and some of that is frankly just because Najee Harris is scoring so many touchdowns on the ground and [Jones] hasn’t played in a lot of second halves this season. But yeah, I think he’s a guy who’s continued to get better and better, and his teammates love him. I think [NFL] teams reach for quarterbacks, and when you have a guy that teammates love and is a proven winner, especially at a place like Alabama, it would shock me at this point if Mac Jones is not a first-round pick.”
The Tide appear on a collision course with Kyle Trask and No. 6 Florida (7-1) in the SEC Championship on Dec. 19. Trask has thrown for 2,810 yards, 34 touchdowns and three interceptions this season.
Jones believes that game will decide the Heisman Trophy.
“Take the over, whatever it is,” Jones said. “There’s going to be so many points scored in that game. Both of those offenses are so fun to watch, so many talented playmakers, and two guys [Steve Sarkisian and Dan Mullen] who really understand matchups and understand how to create matchups for those playmakers. I can’t wait to watch that game. I lean Alabama. I think they’re a little bit more complete in the way they run the football, their offensive line is a little bit better, and also their defense. . . . That defense has come so far since that [Ole Miss] game. I think they’re going to get a few more stops than Florida’s defense, and ultimately Alabama will come out victorious.”