Since the arrival of Nick Saban in 2007, Alabama has set the standard for recruiting in college football. Saban may be in the middle of a very important season right now, but make no mistake, he always has his mind on recruiting and the future of his program.

One commit in particular that Saban, his coaching staff, and Tide fans have paid particularly close attention to is Blake Barnett, a senior quarterback out of Santiago High School in Corona, California.

Fans are particularly interested in Barnett because of his big play ability through the air and on the ground. He is rated as the number one dual-threat quarterback in the country, according to Rivals.com.  Barnett was also named MVP of the Elite 11 high school quarterback camp in July, and his accomplishments do not stop there.

Earlier in the year, it was announced that he would play in the Under Armour All-America game, a yearly event where the best high school players in the country face off against each other. Barnett was honored to be named as a member of the team.

“It’s a tremendous honor. Obviously, most high school football players have aspirations of playing in an all-star game," Barnett told Tide 99.1 in a phone interview. "I was fortunate enough (to be chosen) to play in the Under Armour game and it means a lot to get coached by some great coaches and play with some of the top athletes in the nation. I am extremely excited.”


In his junior season, Barnett passed for 2,332 yards and 22 touchdowns and added another 695 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Through seven games this season, he is already on pace to smash last year's numbers. Barnett currently averages just over 298 passing yards per game and has 22 total touchdowns. In his most recent game, a 49-35 win over King High School, he set a new school record for passing yards in a single game, a record he already held.


Barnett says that the offense he is currently running is a little different from the one he will run at Alabama, but that there are some similarities.

“Well the offense I run now is a little bit different, but I think Coach (Lane) Kiffin is bringing somewhat of a west coast offense over to Alabama. Not too much, but there is little bits of it," Barnett said. "I think I can excel in the shotgun aspects of the offense because it is what I have run my whole high school career.

"I still train and everything under center, but my coach decides to go in shotgun, so that’s what we do here. I think I run similar pass concepts that Alabama runs. I have seen it in film before and I have talked to Coach Kiffin about it, as well. I think we both do somewhat similar things, but I think it should hopefully be an easy learning process.”

Barnett is committed to learning the process and doing whatever it takes to win championships, but that is not the only reason why he chose Alabama over schools like Notre Dame, Oregon, and UCLA.

“Alabama was everything I was looking for in a school as far as the education, my major, and, obviously, the football program. I think it’s the place that is going to develop me the best as far as being a person, player, and a student. It really fit well for me and I couldn’t be happier.”

Of course, Barnett will likely be a part of a another top-rated recruiting class at Alabama. For the first time in the Saban era, offensive players, specifically skill players, are being recruited to better fit the style of offense that Lane Kiffin runs at Alabama. Barnett hopes to thrive under Kiffin's offense, and the two have already developed a close relationship.

“We are extremely close. We talk at least twice a week. It’s always refreshing to be on the same page as a coach and have a good relationship with him as well heading into college. Hopefully that relationship keeps building, and will help us be productive on the field.”

Although it will be a few more months before Barnett puts on a crimson jersey (he is enrolling in the spring), he likes what he sees with what Kiffin has done with this year's offense.

"I was there for the Florida game, and I thought the way the offense was able to move the ball was extremely productive. I think that was an attribute of Coach Kiffin’s offense, and it was nice to see that and what could be a possibility for the future.”

It is no secret that Barnett is making an effort to help Alabama land some more big name recruits. Earlier in the year, we saw Barnett have fun at The Opening with some of the nation's top players by saying 'Roll Tide'. On Saturday, Barnett was back in Tuscaloosa and said he planned to talk some of the visiting recruits.

“I am not too sure who is all going to be attending the game, but there are definitely some recruits that I am always putting a few words into, and trying to recruit them to come to Alabama."

Barnett shared a lot of his fun moments from this weekend's visit via his Twitter account:



Alabama is currently running Kiffin's offense with Blake Sims at the helm, and so far, it has been a success. However, Barnett's style of play is still different than Sims although they are both threats with their feet. So does Blake Barnett have the mechanics to stiff arm his way into Alabama football history? We think so.

 

Here are some of Blake's highlights so far this season:

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