Nick Saban evaluates Week 1 for Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola

Some of the most talented young quarterbacks in college football took center stage last Saturday in Week 1. Highlighted by strong performances from Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Nebraska‘s Dylan Raiola, who both led their respective teams to dominant performances.

Both signal callers will face more challenging tasks this weekend and were recruited by recently retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Who opened up on what he saw from the duo during Friday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

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“We recruited Nico a little bit more, but I think those guys are both going to be outstanding players,” Saban said. “I do think Nico is going to have more opportunity because the offense is quarterback oriented.”

Saban is plenty familiar with Tennessee’s offense after facing off against the Vols in the SEC. A scheme that he believes the redshirt freshman will flourish in after throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns in his limited playing time last weekend versus Chattanooga. Also rushing for three touchdowns in his first career start against Iowa in last year’s Citrus Bowl.

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“Even though Tennessee is going to make you stop the run, but they’re so spread out, and the defense has to declare itself. And he is very talented in terms of his accuracy, his arm strength, and he doesn’t have to read a lot of stuff, because a lot of it comes pre-snap for him,” Saban explained. “Which is good for their offense and he did a great job of executing that in the bowl game last year and this year.”

Like Iamaleava, Raiola is another five-star high school prospect oozing with NFL potential. But he made his first-ever college start this weekend against UTEP and did not disappoint in a scheme that’s much different than Tennessee’s.

“Now Nebraska’s offense is a little bit more San Francisco 49er-like. Where they’re going to run the ball, they’re going to throw play action passes, they’re going to have boots, waggles, and all that. So it’s not quite as quarterback-oriented, but he did a really good job in the first game as well,” Saban said.

Raiola impressed in his two and a half quarters of play where he completed 70% of his passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. But the way Raiola embraced the home crowd with gestures as he took the field at Memorial Stadium for the first time ever may have been even more reassuring than his actual performance.

“I think it’s good,” Saban said. “I mean to me, it shows that the guy has confidence. He’s walking into a big stage and he’s got confidence in himself, I think that’s probably a good thing.”

Raiola and Iamaleava passed their first tests of the season with flying colors, but now have to level up. As Nebraska hosts Colorado on Saturday and Tennessee takes on No. 24 NC State in Charlotte for two of the biggest games of the weekend.