TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t going to divulge his entire pre-snap checklist.

That would be impractical.

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff,” he said when asked what he looks for before each play.

But Alabama’s sophomore defensive back is willing to provide a few examples.

One such list item, he explained, is formations, as some offenses will run the same plays from certain formations.

Another is where the receivers line up. It’s a matter of leverage, he pointed out.

“Say a receiver is close to the hash. He’s probably trying to run across the field trying to get away from you,” he said. “If he’s further from the hash, he’s probably trying to get inside of you.”

As he put it: “You just want to look at small things like that.”

Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick had three interceptions against Arkansas, but said there still was room for him to play better. Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports

Attention to detail is what separates Fitzpatrick from his SEC brethren.

The 6-foot-1 New Jersey product knows what he’s looking for, and he’s been that way almost from the moment he set foot on Alabama’s campus last year. He quickly became a favorite of then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, and coach Nick Saban has lauded his maturity on several occasions.

Not every true freshman is ready to play at Alabama, and even fewer are able to do so under the watchful eye of Saban, who personally coaches the defensive backs in practice. But Fitzpatrick was different. He was inserted in the starting lineup immediately, notching five tackles in last year's season opener against Wisconsin on his way to earning freshman All-SEC honors.

Fast-forward to Saturday, when he was busy hauling in three interceptions during a 49-30 win at Arkansas, including one he carried 100 yards for a touchdown. The next day he was named national defensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

On Monday, Saban described Fitzpatrick not only as a hard worker but a “bright guy” who also is an “instinctive player.”

Early in the second half against Arkansas, Fitzpatrick found himself playing man-to-man coverage. There was a moment trailing the route when he could turn and spy quarterback Austin Allen, he said, and it was perfect timing. He saw the ball leave Allen’s hand, spun back around, beat the receiver to the spot and caught the interception over his shoulder.

“When I talk about discipline and eye control -- looking at the right things, understanding what the other team is trying to do so you put yourself in the best position to take advantage of it -- he probably does that as well as anybody that we have on defense,” Saban said. “I think that he ends up making plays because of it.

“I think some of our other guys, they want to make plays, but they have to understand there has to be attention to detail. You have to look at the right things, you have to put yourself in the right position, and then you’re going to give yourself the best opportunity to make plays. And that’s the thing that hopefully we can use some of those plays as an example to have others do the same.”

Think about that for a second: Saban, who is never one to dole out praise easily, was using a true sophomore as an example of doing things the right way.

If that doesn’t tell you how much he thinks of Fitzpatrick, nothing will.

“Guys like that, you can’t talk about enough,” said running back Damien Harris, who found himself sprinting down the sideline during Fitzpatrick’s pick-six Saturday. “Guys like him and ArDarius [Stewart], what they bring to this team is unmatched, whether it’s in the locker room, motivating us each and every day in practice, before the game, halftime adjustments or their performance on the field, which speaks for itself. You can’t give those guys enough credit.”

Taking a cue from their relentless head coach, they’re not ones to accept credit either. Fitzpatrick gave a tip of the cap to the linebackers and defensive linemen, calling his recognition as player of the week a “team effort.”

What’s more, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with his play either.

Saban was furious at the end of the game, despite a comfortable lead. Fitzpatrick, as it turns out, was no different. Although his three interceptions would indicate otherwise, he said he didn’t play a perfect game.

To get back to what he called “that national championship secondary” he said that even more attention to detail was required, even more focus. That starts Saturday on the road at No. 9 Tennessee.

“We have the talent," Fitzpatrick said. "We have the athleticism that nobody has in the country. We should be able to execute and keep teams under at least 200 receiving yards a game.”