Nick Saban has built a football program at Alabama with little to no weaknesses, but there has been one kryptonite for Alabama football: dual-threat quarterbacks.
Arkansas has a dual-threat quarterback in KJ Jefferson, one of the country’s best dual threats. Jefferson was successful in the air last season against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but Arkansas couldn’t turn his performance into a victory.
Jefferson’s three passing touchdowns were enough to put Saban and the rest of the country on notice.
“KJ Jefferson is dual threat-wise big, strong, really good passer. They’ve got a lot of quarterback runs, which create another gap on defense,” Saban said.
"This guy's pretty unique. He does a really good job of executing what they want to do on offense…I've got a tremendous amount of respect for the way he plays."
– Nick Saban on Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson
— Mason Choate (@ChoateMason) September 28, 2022
Historically, Saban has had trouble with this style. Since 2008, three dual-threat quarterbacks who beat Saban went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Jefferson has been consistent so far this season, and Saban’s words early in the week let us know the dual-threat dynamic might be keeping him up at night.
Let’s look at some of the dual-threat who beat Saban in the air and on the ground.