KJ Lacey Enters His Name Into The Fold

Josh Heupel scours America for quarterback talent, and KJ Lacey may be a high priority for Tennessee going forward.

2025 projects to be a busy cycle for head coach Josh Heupel, especially at the quarterback position. He has three targets: George MacIntyre, Antwann Hill, and Cutter Boley. Well, now four.

KJ Lacey is an Alabama native with an incredibly high upside. He isn't ranked on any recruiting service, but that should change in a few months after a monster sophomore season.

Lacey threw for 3,177 yards and 40 touchdowns en route to a state title win. In his first season as a starter. Tennessee recently offered and should be in contact moving forward.

Elite Arm Talent

Arm strength is different than arm talent. Just because you throw a football 80 yards doesn't mean that you can change your arm angle as an approaching defensive end crashes toward you.

Lacey can change his angle and the ball's trajectory seamlessly. He can throw with a traditional motion, on the run, across his body, and flatten his arm and throw it like a shortstop throwing to first.

The ball placement doesn't change in any of these situations. Lacey leads receivers open with where he throws it, communicating where he wants them to be with his pass rather than point.

Fluid Base

The modern quarterback can alter their base and still deliver. Twenty years ago, you could win from the pocket by repeating the same mechanics. Now, edge rushers can immediately push you off your spot and rush your throw.

Therefore, you must be able to deliver off multiple platforms. Lacey has sound traditional mechanics, keeping his lower half engaged but not solely relying on hip torque.

He can shorten his stride in the face of pressure, tightening his second step and generating enough power from his arm to fight the ball into a tight window. Lacey throws downfield well with just arm talent, a necessity for modern quarterbacking.

Intelligent Imprevisor 

Many signal callers can extend plays with athleticism and talent, but few know what to do when their initial read breaks down. Lacey knows how and when to take advantage of defenses out of structure.

He can work his way through traffic while keeping his eyes downfield to see an open wideout. While Lacey is a capable runner, he is a quarterback first and wants to make plays with his arm.

He also has unspoken communication with his receivers. There isn't a rhyme or reason to why certain pass catchers respond to different quarterbacks, but Lacey is always on the same page as his wideouts.

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