Blake Barnett starting for Alabama vs. USC

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Redshirt freshman Blake Barnett is set to start for the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide against the USC Trojans in the season opener.

The Alabama Crimson Tide entered the season with the top-ranking once again, seemingly a given in the Nick Saban era. But heading into Saturday, it was still unclear who Alabama would start at quarterback when they took on the USC Trojans at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Then, hours before the game, it was reported by AL.com that redshirt freshman Blake Barnett will be starting for the Crimson Tide, beating out Jalen Hurts and Cooper Bateman. The report was later confirmed by the SEC Network.

THIS JUST IN: Alabama has named Blake Barnett their starting QB. pic.twitter.com/gJ8cPzgroF

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 3, 2016

That makes Barnett the youngest player to start for Alabama under Saban, and the first quarterback younger than a redshirt sophomore to start for Alabama.

Hurts is a freshman and Bateman was a junior, and because of that perhaps the favorite to win the starting gig.

The California-bred quarterback was one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation coming out of high school as a part of the 2015 recruiting class. In his first start at the college level he’ll get thrust into the spotlight, starting against a marquee program in the home of the Dallas Cowboys on national television in primetime.

It will be a huge test, but going with the young Barnett is an optimistic move. If Barnett is successful, and it’s unlikely he’ll be anything but at Alabama, the Crimson Tide could have their starting quarterback for years to come like the A.J. McCarron era that netted the school three BCS National Championships.