TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Nick Saban isn’t quite ready to post a starting lineup or depth chart.

But he does like what he has seen from his highest-rated summer enrollee.

Former 5-star running back Trey Sanders has only participated in five college practices, but the freshman has looked like an SEC-caliber running back through the first week of Alabama’s fall camp.

“Trey Sanders is doing really, really well in camp,” said Saban during a post-practice press conference on Wednesday. “His work ethic is really good. He’s learning every day. His attention to detail seems to be pretty good. He’s got some ability that may be able to contribute to the team.”

And the Crimson Tide has a spot open for a No. 3 option out of the backfield.

Alabama’s top three tailbacks combined for 2,299 yards and 24 touchdowns on 387 carries last season and averaged nearly six yards per touch (5.94, to be exact). But Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs are now on NFL rosters, leaving Najee Harris as the only returning member of the rotation.

Najee Harris and Brian Robinson have been the Tide’s top two backs since the start of spring drills, and the pair of juniors are set to open the 2019 season in those same roles. But the spot behind them is still up for grabs ahead of the team’s first of two preseason scrimmages on Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Jerome Ford has been the third running back through drills to start camp with Sanders splitting third-team reps with him during the open practice this past weekend. Both Sanders and Keilan Robinson joined the team this summer, and Brian Robinson has been impressed by his new teammate, who he said “likes to use his feet” and is “great with agility.”

“Trey has shown some pretty good size, agility and elusiveness that he’s been showing since high school,” Robinson said Thursday. “He’s a physical runner, he’s aggressive, he plays hard and he just likes to compete. So, that’s the biggest thing that stands out to me is that he’s a competitor.”

Known for saying he will win the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman, Sanders arrived at UA with a lot of expectations surrounding him. After all, he was the No. 6 overall recruit during the 2019 cycle and the No. 1 running back, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

While the Port Saint Joe, Fla., native is confident, he’s also preparing for 2019 the right way.

“I think Trey is an extremely hard-working young man,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said at the start of camp. “He’s serious about football. I think the majority of players who chose to come to the University of Alabama are serious about football and want to be great. Everything I’ve seen out of him is that he wants to be a great player, he wants to work extremely hard.

“We have a long way to go, obviously ... but just early thoughts on him are that he’s a hard-working guy, serious about what he does.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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