Julian Sayin, nation's No. 2 quarterback, commits to Alabama over Georgia, LSU

When Carlsbad High School (California) five-star quarterback Julian Sayin took an unofficial visit to Alabama for its game against Mississippi State in late October he knew it could be the defining trip in his recruitment. 

And the nation's No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2024 also knew the exact moment he realized the Crimson Tide would be his choice. 

"It was my discussion with coach (Bill) O'Brien and coach (Nick) Saban when I was there, talking with them face-to-face about how they are going to develop me and what they've got in place," Sayin said. "I got to see how special it was." 

On Wednesday afternoon, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound signal-caller made it official, announcing his commitment to Alabama over Georgia and LSU on ESPN's "College Football Live."

For some time, the battle for Sayin's services was believed to be centered on LSU and Georgia - with the Tigers sliding into the forefront in recent weeks.

But Alabama quietly emerged as a major contender - even before Sayin visited for a gameday.

"There's so much winning history there," he said before his trip. "They have 18 national championships. Coach (Nick) Saban, what he's done there and what a great coach he is, he's arguably the best coach of all-time. What's not to like about it?"

That October visit to Alabama proved to be a make-or-break moment - and the Crimson Tide hit a home run, making it difficult for Sayin to pick what stood out about the visit. 

"Everything about the program, it's the standard," he said. "Coach (Bill) O'Brien and coach (Nick) Saban were telling me, this is the place to come play quarterback with the track record there and the consistency of the program." 

Sayin, currently a high school junior, plans to graduate in December of his senior season and enroll early at Alabama.