Before donning the No. 6 jersey this spring as a true freshman early enrollee, five-star signee Blake Barnett made a phone call to someone with his namesake.

“He asked me what I think about it,” Blake Sims said, according to AL.com. “I said, hey, it would be great. People are used to hearing Blake Sims for six, now you’re going to start seeing Blake Barnett. So it’s good it’s staying in the first name.

“I said wear that number proud. There’s no pressure, but just go out and play your game and do what you do.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound import from Corona, Calif., will try to compete for the starting quarterback job this spring, but more likely he’s got an excellent chance to take the job in 2016. Barnett wore No. 8 in high school, but receiver Robert Foster already wears that number for the Crimson Tide.

A photo posted by B² (@blake_barnett6) on

Jacob Coker is the early favorite to earn the starting job. That was the case a year ago as well, but Coker lost out to a Blake in an upset. With a year in the system, though, it seems likely the Florida State transfer will be ready to convert his physical talent into production.

David Cornwell and Cooper Bateman also return and should compete for positioning on Alabama’s depth chart this spring. If Barnett doesn’t start, it will be interesting to see if the Crimson Tide plays him as the backup in preparation for the ’16 season.

“Right now I’m just focused on getting down with the playbook, getting stronger and preparing myself just for the season as much as possible,” Barnett said, according to AL.com.

“The depth chart is something I’m not completely worried about right now. I want to improve myself and my game as much as I can. Obviously, coming from high school to here is a big change, so I’m going to try to get in transition as best as possible and get familiar with the coaches and my teammates.”

Though Sims broke Alabama’s single-season passing yards record in 2014, it’s an unusual request of a one-year starter who didn’t make first-team All-SEC and may not get drafted.