Longhorns Country

WATCH: Texas QB Commit KJ Lacey Shows Off at Elite 11 Finals

Texas Longhorns four-star quarterback commit KJ Lacey is impressing in Los Angeles.

Matt Galatzan

Saraland's Karle Lacey, Jr., (9) throws an early touchdown pass against Clay-Chalkville during the AHSAA Class 6A football state championship game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday December 8, 2023.
Saraland's Karle Lacey, Jr., (9) throws an early touchdown pass against Clay-Chalkville during the AHSAA Class 6A football state championship game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday December 8, 2023. / Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK
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LOS ANGELES, CA — Texas Longhorns 2025 quarterback commit KJ Lacey is playing at an MVP level at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles this week.

On Tuesday, he came out of the gates hot and his highlights got the attention of fans on X (Twitter).

Take a look:

Lacey told us after Day 1 that he feels confident in his performance so far, and it’s easy to see why.

"I feel like I did pretty good overall, just showing arm strength and accuracy," Lacey said in a one-on-one interview. "I feel like I did pretty solid.”

"I was just learning as it went, because you have the five-step, seven-step drops, all that stuff," Lacey said. "Most of my stuff is like three steps from the gun, or three and a hitch or something like that. But I'm coming out here and learning what the coaches have to tell us and fix about our footwork, so that's what I'm doing. The main thing was my base, keeping it wider. Sometimes I tend to get a little tall at the top of my drop. Just staying low to the ground and my base right.”

Lacey headlines a 2025 class that already features four-star talents like defensive lineman Lance Jackson, linebacker Elijah Barnes, tight end Emaree Winston, and running back James Simon, who announced his commitment in May.

The Longhorns will kick off their 2024 regular season at home against Colorado State on Saturday, Aug. 31.

As for Lacey, he’ll look to continue impressing during Day 2 of Elite 11 on Wednesday.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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