Alabama QB Jalen Milroe Didn't Attend Texas Because Of Quinn Ewers

Jalen Milroe was set to come to Texas but backed off his pledge after Quinn Ewers committed

When it comes to college-football-recruiting there are always connections between players, programs, and coaches that can be made.

On Saturday we will see a perfect example when Texas heads to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama. It's a blast from the past, but many people forget that current Alabama starting quarterback Jalen Milroe was committed to Texas for about a year before backing off his pledge. There are always speculations as to why recruits choose not to go to a certain school, but in this case, it is much more clear than others. There wasn't NIL at the time and transfers weren't running as rampant as they are now. 

Instead, Milroe backed off his commitment after Texas landed a commitment from Quinn Ewers. 

© Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY

Ewers was a major get for then-head-coach Tom Herman, as he ranked as the No. 1 recruit with a perfect rating. A mark for a quarterback that we had not seen since Vince Young was a recruit. 

Ewers ultimately ended up backing off his pledge and flipping to Ohio State, Herman was fired, and Milroe ended up at Alabama. 

The former king of the mullet is now at Texas after transferring in from Ohio State before last season and will be squaring off against Milroe this weekend. The oddsmakers give the edge to Milroe and Alabama, who may have some extra motivation of Texas choosing Ewers over him as a recruit. 

As for Ewers, Texas fans are hoping that his performance against Rice which saw him go 0-for-7 on passes beyond 25 yards was a fluke and that he will finally start hitting on the deep ball. Depending on how the meeting between No. 3 Alabama and No. 11 Texas goes, there could be a scenario where Longhorns fans wish they'd kept Milroe.

There is also a scenario if Ewers plays up to his potential, Texas fans will be happy that he returned home. The battle of the quarterbacks is always personal, but this week some other factors make it even more personal than normal.