Several of college football’s best QBs are the dual-threat kind and Jalen Hurts is one of them. Hurts has made Oklahoma’s offense work with his speed, passing strength and accuracy, and as well his sharp decision-making. Several of Hurts’ Big 12 brethren — notably, Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders, Baylor’s Charlie Brewer, and Iowa State’s Brock Purdy — are dual-threat QBs as well, along with the currently injured Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama, Bo Nix of Auburn, and Sam Howell of North Carolina.
Dual-threat QBs are making life hard for defensive coordinators with their unique skill set. ”It’s tough to play defense right now,” admitted West Virginia coach Neal Brown. ”Those are really good quarterbacks that are playing at a high level and they all have the ability to run.”
The days of the pure pocket passer seem over, with more and more QBs weaponizing their running ability to great effect. Sanders, Hurts, and Purdy have all rushed over 100 yards in at least a game this season, and that is becoming the new norm.
The fact that dual-threat QBs are excelling in the college ranks is nothing new. The college game, with its spread offenses and shotgun-heavy sets, has seen a handful of these dynamic play-callers. There were Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick and Texas’ Vince Young. There were also Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. Now we’re seeing the likes of Hurts and Ehlinger.
Threats even in the pros
Surprisingly these dual-threat QBs are thriving more and more in the pro ranks, too. Vick in his time was an outlier. Now he’d be part of what is becoming the norm: QBs who are dangerous both in the pocket and scrambling out of it.
The aforementioned Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is one of the standard bearers when it comes to dual-threat QBs. Last season he won the MVP by showcasing polished passing and dynamic running. He has also benefitted from Andy Reid’s innovative play-calling. A guide to every NFL team by Ladbrokes documents how Reid constructed a juggernaut offense around Mahomes. But for all of Reid’s offensive genius it is Mahomes’ brilliance at under center that elevates the Chiefs’ offense.
And Mahomes has good company in this regard. A Baltimore Sun preview of an early-season game between the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals noted how the match-up would showcase the rise of the dual-threat quarterback in Jackson, the Ravens’ MVP candidate, and Kyler Murray, the Cardinals’ rookie sensation. The two didn’t disappoint, as they amassed over 600 yards combined. Since then Jackson has faced a trio of elite dual-threat QBs in Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson.
Becoming the present and the future
The success of Mahomes, Jackson, Murray, and Watson reflect a larger trend: dual-threat QBs thriving not only in the college game but also at the elite professional levels. It will become more popular with coaches at every level now implementing innovative spread offenses. These offenses can maximize the unique abilities of dual-threat QBs, who are given plenty of options in the air, and lots of space on the ground. So, expect to see more QBs like Hurts, Ehlinger, and Tagovailoa in the future.
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