This time last year, Jalen Hurts should have been in high school but elected to enroll early and compete for the starting quarterback job at Alabama.
Hurts is now the veteran of his position group that includes two new early enrollees, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones.
"It's different," Hurts said Tuesday in a news conference. "I'm the old guy, but not by much. All the guys are cool. I really enjoy being around them."
Hurts was made available to the media for the first time since the early hours of Jan. 10, after the Crimson Tide lost a 35-31 thriller to Clemson in the national championship game. The 6-foot-2, 214-pounder from Channelview, Texas, said he visited with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban shortly after that loss and started working on this season.
Steve Sarkisian called the plays for Alabama against Clemson and was expected to be the offensive coordinator for the upcoming season, but he left in early February to call the plays for the Atlanta Falcons and was replaced by New England Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll.
Hurts said he and Daboll have quickly built a good relationship, adding that he has been intrigued with the offensive tweaks the coordinator has made.
"I'm looking forward to what it will bring us," Hurts said.
Alabama practiced indoors Wednesday for two hours in full pads and will practice again Friday before scrimmaging for the first time this spring on Saturday. Saban said earlier this week that he wants to see Hurts display improved decision-making, patience in the pocket and reading of coverages.
Saban said Hurts already is "doing better in those regards" compared to last season, and Hurts agreed.
"The maturation and experience part has helped this spring as far as slowing the game down and me seeing things faster," Hurts said. "When the game slows down, you get better as a passer. I probably ran a little more last year because I was young.
"When it slows down, you can process things better and see what you need to see."
Hurts entered his first spring scrimmage last year fourth on the depth chart but wound up becoming the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year and sending the other Crimson Tide quarterbacks from a year ago - Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell - to transfer destinations.
"It's been an adventure," Hurts said. "A lot of things get thrown at you, and you've got to be able to respect certain situations."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-544-4749.