Here are some notes and thoughts on Alabama now that the Tide is one-third of the way through the regular season:

The good

-- Let's start with something relatively obvious at this point: Tua Tagovailoa is truly special. As ridiculous as the preseason hype was surrounding Tagovailoa, the sophomore QB has not only lived up to the expectations but -- as crazy as it is -- probably even exceeded them. In 2016, Baker Mayfield led the nation with a quarterback rating of 196.4. It was the first time since Russell Wilson in 2011 that someone finished with a QB rating of 190 or better. That should help put this into perspective. Tagovailoa's QB rating through four games: 230.5. That's 14.7 points higher than anyone else in the country and 30.8 points higher than anyone in the SEC.

-- Alabama coaches have been happy with how they've been able to spread the ball around to several different players in the passing game. Through four games last year, only one player had multiple touchdown catches -- Calvin Ridley, who had two at that point. There are already five players with multiple touchdown catches this year. Jerry Jeudy is tied for third-best nationally with six TD catches.

-- Word is that Dan Enos continues to be a great asset for the quarterback group. The combined numbers for Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts: 16 touchdown passes, only one interception and a 72 percent completion percentage.

-- You've heard plenty at this point about the Crimson Tide's three sophomore wide receivers and about talented freshman wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but someone else who has become a big part of Alabama's passing game is tight end Irv Smith. The junior had four catches for 74 yards against Texas A&M on Saturday and -- with 13 catches for 196 yards already -- he already has 68 more yards than he had all of last year and is two catches away from topping his 2017 catch total. He's a very talented player who will probably be at least a mid-round NFL draft pick down the road.

-- Along those lines, a couple defensive guys have big-time momentum right now regarding their NFL stock. From what I've heard, NFL scouts believe safety Deionte Thompson, who's a redshirt junior, could go in the top-15 of next year's draft if he continues playing like he's playing. NFL personnel guys have also really liked how redshirt sophomore Quinnen Williams has played through Alabama's first four games. If he keeps it up, he'll be in position to potentially turn pro after the season. In his first year as a starter, the Birmingham native has 15 tackles, four stops for a loss, four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup through four games.

-- Speaking of the defensive line, the feeling around the program is Raekwon Davis is playing better than his numbers suggest. The junior is constantly double-teamed yet has still been disruptive and has a team-high five quarterback hurries. While he hasn't recorded a sack, he creates opportunities for other players because of the attention devoted to him by opposing offenses.

-- Led by players like Thompson and Trevon Diggs, the secondary has been better than expected and looks like a strength for the defense even after losing the top six guys from last year's DB group. Freshman Patrick Surtain has the look of a future All-American. He got his first career interception against Texas A&M, and I continue to hear Minkah Fitzpatrick comparisons -- not just because of similarities from a skillset standpoint but also because of his work ethic and coachability.

-- Special teams-wise, Alabama is more dynamic in the return game than they've been in a little while. Teams are already so concerned about Waddle on punt returns that they've started kicking the ball away from him, which has led to favorable field position for the Tide.

Some areas worth monitoring moving forward

-- The offensive line, to put it nicely, is still very much a work in progress, especially along the interior of the line. In particular, that left guard spot manned by Lester Cotton has been a problem area for the line thus far. Interestingly, Matt Womack, who was Alabama's starting right tackle last season, is back practicing now. We'll see if that eventually leads to some changes along the line.

-- All of Alabama's top three running backs are averaging fewer than 10 carries per game. All three -- Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris -- are probably future NFL guys, so naturally they're going to want to be involved and to get as many touches as possible. One of the challenges for coaches will be keeping everyone within that running back group happy, especially the younger guys.

-- While the two inside linebackers, Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses, are both very talented, they're still relatively young experience-wise and still a work in progress in some areas. It's probably fair to say that both are already better than most inside linebackers around college football, but they should be even better the more experience they get.

-- Coaches are hoping for improvement from their new punter, freshman Skyler DeLong. He's currently ranked 118th nationally with his average of 35.9 yards per punt.

Other quick notes

Joseph Bulovas has done a solid job since replacing Austin Jones at kicker. Bulovas has made four of his five kicks, including a 47-yarder against A&M, and all 19 of his extra points... While he only finished with a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup, Johnny Dwight stood out some late in the Texas A&M game. I could see him helping the Tide in a backup capacity along the D-line as the year goes on.

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn football and basketball reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.