Jalen Hurts impresses at Manning Passing Academy

Archie Manning knows a thing or two about good quarterbacks.

That's why Alabama fans should be happy to hear the 68-year-old heaped praise on Jalen Hurts at the Manning Passing Academy.

"Jalen's a good-looking quarterback, and he threw the ball well," Manning told Matt Zenitz of AL.com. "We really enjoyed having Jalen. He's really a fine young man and a good guy, a really good guy. He worked great with our campers and mixed in so well with our staff. He was one of the favorites. And in all of the throwing sessions, he performed very well."

Hurts turned heads last year as a true freshman, throwing for 23 touchdowns and leading the Crimson Tide to the national title game. The pivot struggled in the championship game, though, going just 13-of-31 for 131 yards.

During the passing academy, Hurts' arm appeared to be in fine form, if you listen to Senior Bowl scouting coordinator Patrick Woo.

"Jalen threw the deep ball really well in that Friday workout," Woo said. "When you go back to last year, that was something Alabama didn't utilize all that much was the deep ball and obviously he missed a few in the playoff games, but I think that's his biggest strength is throwing the deep ball. He's big. He's obviously smart. And he definitely has a live arm. That's for sure. That ball really zips out of his hand."

Hurts may need some work on his aerial attack, but his 13 touchdowns and 954 yards on the ground proved there's no issue with his legs. If the sophomore takes a step forward in the passing game, it's not unreasonable to think he could become the program's first Heisman winner at quarterback.