Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not participate in the Crimson Tide’s spring game due to a broken bone in his throwing hand. But nearly one month removed from spring practice, the sophomore signal caller said his recovery back to full health is going well.

“It’s doing good,” Tagovailoa told Hawaii News Now. “We got the opportunity to find someone down here (in Honolulu), and we’re doing rehab with him. So far we’re good, we’re on track. I just can’t wait to get the ball rolling. Once I start throwing again, I feel we should be fine.”

After Alabama’s second scrimmage of the spring, head coach Nick Saban said Tagovailoa suffered “a little setback” to his injured throwing hand and eventually ruled him out the rest of the spring, leaving the quarterback duties to Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones.

Tagovailoa was back in his native state of Hawaii for a “Hometown Hero Parade” this weekend in Ewa Beach, and Hawaii News Now spoke at length to Alabama’s quarterback, with the most notable quote being one of a transfer that Tide fans are glad did not occur.

“I wanted to leave the school,” Tagovailoa said. “So, I told myself if I didn’t play in the last game, which was the national championship game, I would transfer out. If I gave in, I don’t think I would have seen the end blessing of where I am now.”

Saban made an “executive decision” to start Tagovailoa, then a true freshman, in the second half of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Hurts started the game -- his 28th in an Alabama uniform -- but the Tide trailed Georgia, 13-0, at halftime and needed a spark on the offensive side of the football. So, in came the former 5-star recruit.

And Tagovailoa will be back in Tuscaloosa this fall to resume competition with Hurts for the starting job behind center for UA’s 2018 campaign. Having replaced Hurts in the national championship game after primarily seeing the field in late-game game action, he was asked if his mentality changes entering his sophomore season as the possible starter?

“My mentality doesn’t,” Tagovailoa said. “I’ve just got to keep working. I think once it gets to me, that’s when I’m going to start to go downhill. I think I’ve just got to keep doing what I’ve done thus far, keep working and you’ve just got to compete, no matter what.

“And I think competing against myself, trying to get myself better every day is the best way. And you’ve got guys like Jalen and Mac Jones, you guys had the opportunity to see them in the spring game, and being able to compete against those guys throughout the fall, I think, is going to be really good for Alabama fans to see.”

Saban told ESPN in March if both of the Tide’s quarterbacks could play winning football, he would find a role for both players. So, before he hit the links at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday, he was asked if he had given that any more thought.

“No, I haven’t given it any thought right now,” Saban said at Greystone Golf & Country Club. “We’ve got two guys competing at the position. I’m not going to speculate on things that may or may not happen. We have a lot of choices and decisions and things we have to make, so we’re not going to really answer questions that are hypothetical in nature, which you seem to love to ask.”

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