Steve Sarkisian recalls his role in Bryce Young's recruitment at Alabama

Ahead of the blockbuster Alabama–Texas game this Saturday, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian — previously the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator — discussed recruiting current Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young was committed to USC, but Sarkisian, Nick Saban and Alabama decided to make a run at him anyways.

Sarkisian saw that Young had a chance to be a special player, and he was right. Young won the Heisman trophy last year in his first season as the starter, one in which the Tide won the SEC and appeared in the national championship.

“You know, I thought Bryce was going to be a really good player,” Sarkisian said. “You know, he was committed to another school at the time when I got to Alabama and I just felt like ‘Man, this guy has a chance to be special.’ We took our shot and we went for it and ultimately he chose to come to Alabama when I was there. And he’s, I think, lived up to the billing and/or exceeded it. To think about, his first year as the starter he’s a Heisman trophy winner and leads them to the national championship game. Starts off his third year with five touchdowns, I think, in the first half or whatever it was.” 

Young, in a year and a game of starting, has shown off the full array of talents from his processing and poise in the pocket to his shiftiness avoiding the rush and bailing out smartly to scramble. The arsenal of physical and mental ability Young brings to the position enabled him to quickly fulfill the promise of his prospects — being at Alabama was surely a catalyst for Young’s ascension, but Sarkisian recognized that the decision, and what it meant, presented challenges.

“Very talented player. Great competitor. Natural feel for passing the football. He’s got really good elusiveness, really good spatial awareness. Again — I’m proud of him. Because I know it was a lot of hard work. It was a little bit of a leap of faith for him to go away from home,” Sarkisian said. “And it’s worked out for him.”