Nick Saban previews what Carolina Panthers fans can expect in Bryce Young's first start

The Carolina Panthers are expecting big things from Bryce Young over the course of his career after selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And as the former Alabama quarterback approaches his first NFL regular season start, Nick Saban discussed how Young works behind the scenes to be ready.

As such, Saban thinks Panthers fans can be assured that Young will have turned over every stone in preparation and worked tirelessly to give himself and his team the best chance to win. As for his performance on Sunday, Sept. 10 on the road in Atlanta, Saban isn’t into making specific predictions.

“I’m not an expectations guy, that’s kind of up to you all,” Saban said on the SEC coaches’ teleconference on Wednesday.

Stats aside, Saban is confident Young will put himself and his teammates in the best position he possibly can. After all, that’s what he did at Alabama for two years as a starter.

“Well, you know, Bryce is a really bright guy and he’s a great preparer for games. He’s got a lot of pride in performance so I’m sure he’ll do everything that he can with his coaches to try to get ready to execute and do things the way he needs to do ’em to have success and for his team to have success. That’s what he always did here. And I’m sure it’ll be no different there,” Saban said.

Saban also knows Young is an adept learner. The NFL game will be an adjustment and three preseason games isn’t enough acclimation, but whatever warts might be there for Young early are likely to be worked on tirelessly behind the scenes.

“A little faster game so that’s something that he’ll have to enter, too. But experience is nothing more than accumulation of mistakes that you make and mostly that you learn and he always did a good job of being able to move forward from all those things. So I’m sure he’ll continue to do that as he develops a career in the NFL,” Saban said.

Young, for his own part, knows he’ll have to take some lumps along the way as he starts his NFL career.

“There’s going to be ups and downs,” Young told CBS analyst and former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan. “I think that just having that sense of wanting to be better, that sense of accountability, the willingness to grow and learning on everyone else throughout the season — I think that’s really what I’m focused on.”