With kickoff for Alabama’s season opener 10 weeks away, the quarterback race remains a hot topic of conversation.

During Friday’s edition of The Gary Harris Show, former Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis weighed in with his thoughts on the quarterback race and reflected on his playing days in Tuscaloosa with guest hosts A.P. Steadham and Dick Coffee III.

Lewis evaluated each of the four main candidates for the starting quarterback position. There was one quarterback that drew high praise from the former Alabama signal caller.

“Blake Barnett reminds me of Joe Willie (Namath). He really does. He has that swagger that Joe Willie had. I know Joe and everybody knows Joe. That’s who Blake Barnett reminds me of. I hope he can be patient. He has a lot of tools. He has a strong arm. He’s athletic. He can make things happen with his legs. I think over time, just being patient with the system, he has a tremendous upside physically, mentally and athletically as a player.” Lewis said.

Lewis expanded on Alabama’s overall potential as a team and how that could help the eventual starter at quarterback.

“This team has a tremendous upside. In terms of how a quarterback plays, the team has a big impact on that. Defensively, this team has a lot of tools. Offensively, this team has a lot of tools. From a special teams standpoint, it has a lot of tools. So the team has its upside and that dictates quarterback play.” Lewis said.

The Alabama quarterback under Paul “Bear” Bryant and Ray Perkins reminded us how unique this dynamic is in college football.

“A lot of teams don’t have the luxury of having a team that’s as well-rounded as that team at Alabama that’s going to be on the field this year.” Lewis said.

Catch the Gary Harris Show each weekday from 9-11 AM on Tide 99.1 and the radioPup app.

 

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