Corona, Calif. is a city situated northeast of Yorba Linda, boasting a population of 152, 374. One of it’s residents is the quintessential California kid, cool, calm and collected. That’s Alabama redshirt freshman Blake Barnett.
Coming out of high school, Barnett made waves winning the Elite 11 quarterback competition. A five star recruit (the only five star quarterback on Alabama’s roster), he turned down offers from west coast powerhouses like Oregon and UCLA to play for Nick Saban.
The Cali kid is ready to show off his west coast swagger on a big stage, competing for a starting spot at quarterback for the Crimson Tide.
Barnett won’t let the pressure phase him. He’s been ready for this moment before he ever stepped foot in Tuscaloosa. He was ranked the nation’s number one pocket passer by ESPN, the top dual threat by Rivals, and led his squad to a victory in the 2015 Under Armour All-American game.
Teammates already know Barnett’s potential. He was often used in practice as a simulation for top dual threat quarterbacks the Tide faced in 2015. His speed and work ethic in practice impressed his peers.
Reggie Ragland said that Barnett has the potential to be a “monster”. Redshirt freshman safety Deionte Thompson told AL.com that Barnett gives maximum effort, even at practice.
“He kind of showed some of the speed that he has,” Thompson said. “I was just like, ‘Wow.’ Not too many quarterbacks do that against our defense. I know it’s practice. But still, that he was able to do that, that was pretty impressive.”
“Wow” might as well be Barnett’s middle name. He has turned heads putting on size, recruiting high school players on twitter and impressing Crimson Tide fans with his past accolades.
I'll keep it simple. I got 16 reasons why you should commit to UA. The chances of there being 17 reasons next year is likely. #RollTide
— B² (@Blake8Barnett) February 1, 2016
Despite being immensely talented, Barnett has truly shown that he is a student of the game. He has acknowledged that taking a redshirt year has allowed him to grow as a player, practicing against what was arguably the best defense in the country.
He has the size, the knowledge, the tools to start, but most importantly Barnett has the desire to be Alabama’s signal caller. He trained with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. in the offseason, and has looked sharp in spring ball. That extra work does not go unnoticed.
The only obstacle in Barnett’s way is time. We don’t know if he will start, and he most likely doesn’t have an idea either. If the quarterback competition stays true to past form, we may not know who the starter is until the first game against USC (it would be cool to see a California kid take down the Trojans).
Luckily, Barnett knows a thing or two about patience after taking a redshirt year. Although Barnett doesn’t know if he is the “official” starter, he certainly believes that he has all the necessary attributes to lead the Tide to another title.
Blain Bradley is a contributor for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “Follow” him on Twitter, via @blainbradley1 or “like” him on Facebook
