Recent Decommitment Leaves Texas Longhorns Looking for a 2021 Quarterback

Jalen Milroe's flip to Alabama means Tom Herman and Mike Yurcich will likely have to offer a new signal caller.

Texas lost its 2021 quarterback commitment on Monday when Jalen Milroe flipped his verbal pledge from the Longhorns to the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Milroe is an SI All American candidate under center.

From SI All American:

Frame: Athletic with excellent definition in upper-body. Tightly-wound and flat torso. Well-built thighs and carved calves.

Athleticism: Has been clocked at 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, and has a 4.38 short-shuttle time. Also posted a vertical jump of nearly 35 inches last spring. Fairly quiet feet in pocket with good knee bend and throwing base. Can elude rush and find new throwing lane and reset. Has enough torso rotation and flexibility to perform off-platform throws. Possesses a 2-count delivery with ball coming out with good spin from either over the top or ear-hole level, depending on arm slot. Above-average arm strength to threaten second and third levels, as well as field from boundary.

Instincts: Keeps eyes downfield with very good feel for rush and natural ability to climb up in pocket. Accurate to short and intermediate levels, and flashes deep-ball anticipation and proper ball placement. Natural in secondary-reaction phase with athleticism to scramble or be a run threat. Quick trigger to take what defense gives him versus cover-4. 

SI All-American Candidate Jalen Milroe Highlights and Evaluation

Jalen Milroe Highlights

Jalen Milroe is a quarterback from Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas. Milroe is an SI All-American candidate.

Frame: Athletic with excellent definition in upper-body. Tightly-wound and flat torso. Well-built thighs and carved calves.
Athleticism: Has been clocked at 4.64 in the 40-yard dash, and has a 4.38 short-shuttle time. Also posted a vertical jump of nearly 35 inches last spring. Fairly quiet feet in pocket with good knee bend and throwing base. Can elude rush and find new throwing lane and reset. Has enough torso rotation and flexibility to perform off-platform throws. Possesses a 2-count delivery with ball coming out with good spin from either over the top or ear-hole level, depending on arm slot. Above-average arm strength to threaten second and third levels, as well as field from boundary.
Instincts: Keeps eyes downfield with very good feel for rush and natural ability to climb up in pocket. Accurate to short and intermediate levels, and flashes deep-ball anticipation and proper ball placement. Natural in secondary-reaction phase with athleticism to scramble or be a run threat. Quick trigger to take what defense gives him versus cover-4.
Polish: Plays exclusively from shotgun and is a solid ball-handler. Executes half-field reads, yet does appear to see whole field in secondary-reaction phase. Also ran some max-protection and 2-route combinations. Can be careless with ball while scrambling and must keep both hands on ball in pocket consistently. Must continue increasing processing and progressions across entire field.
Bottom Line: Milroe is an athletic QB with good traits. He has enough arm strength to push the ball downfield, and flashes very good accuracy. The Texan also has escapability and solid quickness to elude defenders as a runner. Milroe fits best in an offense with a 3-step and 5-step passing attack that also will utilize him on designed runs in its rushing attack.

Losing a player of Milroe's caliber is never an easy pill to swallow for a coaching staff, but the blow was softened quite a bit by the news that 2022 quarterback Quinn Ewers - ranked the top overall player in his class - committed to the Longhorns earlier in the week. 

Texas isn't currently hurting for a quarterback with guys like Casey Thompson, Hudson Card and Ja'Quinden Jackson all lined up to battle for the team's starting spot in 2021, but with the current state of college football in the NCAA transfer portal era, a team never wants to go a full recruiting class without a quarterback. 

Currently every player the Longhorns have offered in the 2021 class has already committed, so where can Texas go next to find a signal caller?

Let's look at some of the players still left on the board:

Braylon Braxton, Frisco (TX)

At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Braxton has the kind of size Texas normally looks for in its quarterback run game. He also possesses a cannon for an arm and is fast enough to break off a long run against college defenses. His offer list is filled with Group of 5 schools with Arizona State currently sitting as his only Power 5 offer, which would make Texas the most prestigious team to extend a scholarship by far. He'll be a bit of a project at the next level, but he certainly has all the tools to succeed - particularly in the Longhorns' pro-spread scheme where he can use his athleticism to his advantage. Being an in-state kid is also a huge advantage. 

Mikey Keene, Chandler (Arizona)

If you get a chance be sure to watch some of Keene's film. The scrappy 5-foot-11 prospect from Arizona is just plain fun to watch. He doesn't have blinding speed, but he's certainly athletic enough to avoid pressure and he never gives up on a play. Keene's clearly more comfortable throwing on the run than in the pocket and he's always got his eyes downfield looking to hit a receiver downfield. While many high school receivers start coming back toward their quarterbacks when plays break down, Keene's pass-catchers break their routes off down the field, trusting in their quarterback's ability to make big-time throws on the run. He's a little undersized, but certainly built to succeed at the college level under the right mentorship. 

Maddox Kopp, Houston (Texas) 

Kopp shot onto many schools' radar after an impressive finish in this year's Elite 11 finals. He beat out several highly-rated recruits ahead of him and Elite 11 alums in a couple of drills and looked like the real deal. If you are looking for a good endorsement, quarterback guru Mike Leach has been hot on Kopp's trail. So has Dana Holgerson at Houston. Texas established some contact with Kopp during the Elite 11 finals, but neither side looked ready to make a move. Now that Texas is looking for a QB1 for 2021, the interest might increase on both sides. The Longhorns and Mike Yurcich will have to hurry though, Kopp intends on committing on Sept. 1 right now. 

Kaden McMullen, O'Fallon (Missouri) 

McMullen is one of those guys that big schools have sniffed around on, but nobody has yet to pull the trigger (other than home-state Missouri). Hs film shows a ton of arm talent and the ability to progress down to second and third reads under pressure. He's also plenty athletic enough to make some plays scrambling and in the quarterback run game. At 6-foot-2, the frame is there to add some more good weight which will be needed for durability at the college level. There's a reason teams like Alabama, Michigan State and Penn State have all stayed in contact with McMullen through the recruiting process. He's got the potential to be one of the sleeper hits of the class. 

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