What does Barnett offer the Tide that previous quarterbacks have not? At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, he brings a rare blend of passing proficiency and mobility. For a team that -- with the exception of Sims -- has largely subsisted on pocket-tethered, pro-style types under Saban, Barnett could bring a new dimension to the offense.
"With the quarterbacks that Alabama has had over the last 5-10 years, since Nick Saban has been in Tuscaloosa, you look back, you went from John Parker Wilson to Greg McElroy to A.J. McCarron -- those guys [are] more of your pocket passers, your pro-style quarterbacks," said Andrew Bone, a recruiting reporter for TideSports.com. "And Blake Barnett is a pro-style quarterback. But the biggest difference between him and those guys is he can run, sort of like what Blake Sims is able to do right now down in Tuscaloosa."