As Alabama prepares for a Week 3 showdown at Ole Miss, it does so in a rare situation: It has a true freshman starting at quarterback. Jalen Hurts, a four-star recruit from Channelview, Texas -- just outside of Houston -- became the first true freshman quarterback to start for Alabama since Vince Sutton in 1984. (Per Alabama media policy, true freshmen do not speak with the media.)

After two appearances, we've learned a lot about Hurts' game, but here are some more need-to-knows about the freshman Nick Saban has entrusted to run the Alabama offense:

He’s strong -- really strong

Hurts was a powerlifter in high school and qualified for the state championship meet in his weight class as a senior. At a regional meet in March 2015, Hurts squatted 570 pounds, bench-pressed 275 pounds and deadlifted 585.

“I don't know that I've ever seen another quarterback that was [a state qualifying powerlifter],” said Manvel (Texas) High School football coach Kirk Martin, whose team faced Hurts in the Texas state playoffs last year. “That alone told me he led by example. He knew where the weight room was, he knew where the squat rack was.”

And Hurts didn’t just powerlift, he also threw the shot put and was a district champion in the event, throwing 46 feet, 11¼ inches. In Texas, a hotbed for high school track and field, the shot put and discus typically are dominated by athletes with the stature of a lineman or linebacker, not a quarterback. Hurts also threw discus and ran on Channelview’s relay team.

Jalen Hurts showed his poise right from the start as he didn't let a fumble on his first collegiate snap rattle him; he bounced back to help the Tide crush USC. Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports

“I'm sure there's a lot of places that that's not a big deal that the guy that's winning the shot put and the discus is also on the relays -- and the starting quarterback on the football team -- but not in Houston, Texas, not at the 6A level,” said North Shore football coach Jon Kay, whose team faced Hurts three times. “I've never seen that before. Not just that he was competing in it, he was winning it.”

Because of his strong lower body, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Hurts is tough to tackle.

“Very rarely did he go down on a 1-on-1 tackle at the high school level,” Kay said. “He's got an extremely powerful lower body that I don't know you can tell just by looking at him. I couldn't tell. The only reason I could figure it out is because I knew what the kids who were hitting him were bringing. And they were bouncing off of him."

He’s 'a coach’s kid'

Hurts’ father, Averion Hurts, is the head coach at Channelview High School, and people say it shows in Jalen.

"He's a coach's kid, and you love that in quarterbacks,” said Houston coach Tom Herman, who heavily recruited Jalen. “Obviously, being a local kid, we thought he might be one of the best in the country.”

Said Deer Park High School coach Chris Massey, who coached against Hurts: “Being a coach's kid, I think his learning curve is different. He's talked football all his life with his dad, at home, weekends. There's a lot to be said for having a coach's kid as a quarterback. ... He's not like a normal freshman college quarterback, he's been around it all his life.”

As a result, Jalen was successful both on and off the field. He was a National Honors Society student and opposing coaches complimented the way he carried himself on the field.

“You never saw him throw his helmet or do anything stupid like that out of frustration,” Martin said. “He's a class act and a hard worker.”

As a senior, Jalen led Channelview to its first playoff appearance in 22 years. Then he graduated early, enrolled at Alabama and served as a scout team quarterback for the Crimson Tide before the national championship game against Clemson in January. Hurts impersonated Deshaun Watson in Alabama practices.

"Jalen did a really good job," Saban said in January. "He's very athletic, and I think that was a real plus for our team to have him there for a few days to be able to have that kind of quickness for us to try to react to."

He’s poised

Hurts' calm demeanor stands out to everyone around him.

“He’s a very poised guy,” Alabama tight end O.J. Howard said. “He does a great job of always keeping the same composure the entire game.”

That became evident in his collegiate debut. His first career snap was a lost fumble: He put the ball in the gut of Damien Harris and lost it upon pulling the ball out to run. Instead of allowing that to rattle him, Hurts bounced back to throw two touchdown passes and run for two more scores in a 52-6 win over USC.

“Jalen is a guy that doesn't get too high or too low,” said Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, who recruited Hurts. “He accepts things and really moves on. Any time you have a guy like that and is also a coach's kid, he's going to be ahead of the curve when he steps on the field. It doesn't surprise me at all that he's having the success he's having.

“He goes in there and they fumble the first snap of his career then he bounces back and comes back and does what he does. Two games doesn't say who you are in your career, but certainly he's got a bright future.”

Howard even called him a leader.

“It’s very rare,” Howard said. “I think anybody can be a leader, but seeing it from a young guy like him is very encouraging.”

Massey, whose team faced Hurts three times in high school, had lofty praise for him.

"He was the most difficult that we've ever had to try to defend since Vince Young was a senior at Madison [High School]," Massey said. "Shoot, I think you're going to see something special over the next few years with this guy."