TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Redshirt and transfer were trending terms this week.

Senior Kelly Bryant chose to leave the Clemson football program Wednesday after coach Dabo Swinney chose true freshman Trevor Lawrence as his starting quarterback, which is the biggest name to take advantage of the NCAA’s new transfer rule after four games in 2018.

At Alabama, many expected junior signal caller Jalen Hurts to choose to play in four games and redshirt before transferring elsewhere after losing his starting job to sophomore Tua Tagovailoa. After all, Hurts is set to graduate in December but has played in all four games. And Nick Saban told ESPN he plans to continue playing both quarterbacks for the remainder of the year.

For the first four weeks of the season, and most of the offseason, the question that dominated college football focused on whether Hurts would transfer from UA like others have this fall. But as the top-ranked Tide prepares for a Week 5 game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, Hurts is preparing to play in his fifth game, which will eliminate his chances of redshirting.

“I think Jalen has been very, very professional about the way he’s handled the situation he’s in,” Saban said. “I’ve said it’s a unique situation. Nobody’s ever been in this situation before -- won 26 games here and now all of the sudden, somebody else is playing. But what he has done is he’s worked every day to try to get better. He’s focusing on improving and the value that he can get from this season because we’re going to play him as much as we possibly can.

“He deserves to play. He’s a good player. And there may be a time in the future where he becomes the guy if something happens. So, we’re not hoping for that narrative, certainly, but I think it speaks volumes of his character to stick with his teammates, be a part of this team, finish the season. And I’ve always said how much respect I have for both the guys. But Jalen has -- and how you handle things when you’re in a difficult situation, I think, speaks volumes of who you are.

“The one thing we’re all going to have in life is we’re going to have a lot of problems. Life is difficult. How you handle the problems is the one thing that you can control, and I think that this is certainly an obstacle that will help him be more successful in the future. And the way he’s handled it is certainly going to help him handle issues and problems that we all have in our lives in the future.”

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts carries the football against Arkansas State.

Tagovailoa has started all four games this season while Hurts has been the second quarterback on the field for Alabama after starting 28 contests in 2016 and 2017. The former has been QB1 since entering the national title game. The latter has thrown for 276 yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 22-of-31 passing (71 percent) and also rushed for 54 yards on 15 attempts.

Hurts’ commitment to the team as a backup is something his Tide teammates appreciate.

“As far as him being a great leader and having a great attitude, being a great teammate, that’s what we expect out of him,” junior left tackle Jonah Williams said of Hurts after the Arkansas State game. “He’s always kind of been that way the whole time he’s been here, so I wasn’t surprised to see him be able to bounce back from that play and drive us back up the field.”

The new redshirt rule, which allows players to play in up to four games and still maintain a year of eligibility in the future, has been a hot topic after the fourth week of college football season, and the chatter intensified Wednesday with Bryant electing to transfer from Clemson.

Earlier, Saban was asked if transfers during the season will become a trend because of the rule.

“I think that it’s a pretty slippery slope, not just for seniors but for all players on a team,” Saban said. “I think we have a responsibility and an obligation as coaches that have programs that we support players and help them be successful personally, academically and athletically. And then they have an obligation on their side of it to play.

“It’s a little bit of a slippery slope when players start to decide whether they’re going to play or not. I’m not saying that there’s not some circumstances out there where it’s not beneficial for the player to save a year so that he can play in another circumstance, but those things probably should be mutually agreed upon. But it is what it is.

“I think the intent of the rule was to help in the development of young players. This is sort of an unintended consequence of the rule, which in some cases might help a player.”

Alabama will host UL-Lafayette on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 11 a.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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