Nick Saban, Bryce Young on the Alabama QB's poise in the pocket

So far, Alabama’s transition from Mac Jones to Bryce Young at quarterback has been seamless. Despite losing multiple key contributors from last year’s undefeated team, Alabama’s offense has still been great under Young through two weeks. Part of what makes Young such a special player is his poise in the pocket. He shows poise under pressure on the field, and he shows that off the field as well.

Young: Poise and communication is important when going into hostile environments

Alabama is 2-0 to start the season but faces its toughest opponent yet this weekend in a Top 15-ranked Florida. The Gators are also 2-0 and have shown to have a versatile and explosive offense. When going on the road into an opposing team’s environment, communication is key. For Young, staying poised under pressure is also a big part of his game.

“Yeah, that’s always important when you go into a hostile environment like we’re going to go into this weekend,” Young said to reporters on Monday. “We know the environment we’re going to go into. We know the challenges ahead of us. Us all as an offense and as a team being on the same page is going to be really big for us. We have to make sure we’re communicating well. Make sure that through the week that we’re getting the reps we need to get so that we’re prepared for Saturday. That’s something that’s going to come and develop, and something we’re going to really be emphasizing this week.”

While his career as a starter is still in the early stages, Young has impressed the nation with his poise and ability to play well under pressure. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said that Young doesn’t try to do too much, but he focuses on the gameplan and trusts the team around him.

“First of all, I think he’s got a really good feel in the pocket or moving in the pocket and sort of moving away from the rush,” Saban said on Monday. “Stepping up when he needs to step up. He’s very quick, very quick feet, he’s got a quick release. He gets his feet back underneath him so that he’s throwing the ball on balance and accurately. And then he’s a really bright guy, so he really understands how the other team is trying to pressure. He tries to protect himself with the plan that we try to put together as coaches so we can protect him. But you got to be able to implement it in the game based on what you’re seeing. He’s done a really good job of that to this point.”

Young is just as poised off the field as he is on the field

As he has taken over Alabama’s quarterback job, Young has shown tremendous poise in every way possible. He is calm on the field and he carries himself in a great way away from football. Young praised his parents for raising him the right way and said that all comes from preparation and growing confidence.

“Well, I appreciate it, thank you,” Young said. “There’s definitely times that I feel like there’s a lot of improvement that I can have in that area. But it’s really a culmination of a lot of things. I think off the field it’s a lot about how I was raised. I was blessed to have two great parents that raised me really well and to this day are people that I get to lean on. And that’s a real blessing.

“On the field, I think it comes with reps. I think it comes with preparation and intensity and practice and times that aren’t the Saturdays. And I think that’s where really the poise comes from. Because I think it’s really a product of your confidence. Therefore, I think that confidence is a product of preparation.”