Five-star signee quarterback Julian Sayin hasn’t even been with Alabama a full week, and he’s already drawing rave reviews from Crimson Tide coaches and players. Following Alabama’s practice Wednesday, Nick Saban was the latest to provide a glowing report on the early enrollee.

“Julian is an outstanding player,” Saban said. “The ball comes out of his hand really nice. He’s accurate. He’s smart. He’s had a great high school career, and he’s been one of the best players, most productive players in the country on a very consistent basis. We like him a lot.”

Sayin joined Alabama over the weekend in time help the team with Rose Bowl prep. However, the Crimson Tide’s early signees are still in an acclimation period and haven’t had the chance to don pads yet in practice. Still, Saban said their presence both at practice and in team meetings should be beneficial to their development.

“I just think the whole experience of being in meetings, learning the stretch program, learning the weight training program, being in meetings and starting to learn the offense or defense,” Saban said, “being around the players on the field, seeing how a college practice really goes and how they can contribute and how they can improve.”

"A lot of them come up and meet with the coaches so that they learn a little extra if they don't understand something in a meeting so I think this total experience is a really positive thing for them in terms of their adjustment to how they're going to transition into, school in January and that whole process that we go through in spring."

Sayin still has room to grow but comes to Alabama more polished than most freshman passers. The Carlsbad, California product is the No. 2 quarterback and No. 4 overall player in next year’s class. He’s coming off a senior season in which he completed 74.5% of his passes for 2,347 yards, 24 touchdowns and just one interception. That production came while operating in a complex system that saw him work both under center and out of the shotgun.

"We don't get under center a whole bunch but that's something we want to be able to do and we want the quarterback to be comfortable doing so anybody who's done it in high school or grew up doing it,” Saban said. “It's the natural thing for them so I think it's good. i think it's a good thing they not so one-dimensional as a player and then they're uncomfortable doing new things that you have to do because I'm sure wherever anybody goes there is going to be new things at every position that that have. to learn to do and grow comfortable learning. That's one thing that's pretty huge for a quarterback.”

Despite being more advanced than most true freshmen, Sayin will still have to wait a season before stepping into the starting role, as current starter Jalen Milroe announced earlier this month that he will be returning to Alabama next season. Tuesday, Milroe chimed in, praising Sayin while stating he will help support his new teammate moving forward.

“I’ve been in his shoes, being a freshman that’s coming into college, and all I can try to do is try to give him the information I’ve got and really try to allow him to be a sponge for the information I have and be a good teammate for him,” Jalen Milroe said. “With him, he spins the ball really well. It’s been really good to have in the room, have another guy in the room and with everything, I’m just appreciative to have another brother in the room.

“He’s doing a really good job practicing, and he’s a good dude.”